ER
COORDINATING Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, invited German entrepreneurs to increase their investment in Indonesia, saying the Job Creation Law would strengthen ease of doing business.
“I invite the German business and industrial community to become our investment partners in supporting and developing Indonesia’s economic transformation,” Hartarto said at the online Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) in Jakarta on Monday.
According to the minister, the new law will encourage job creation and economic growth and its enactment is aimed at simplifying, synchronizing, and streamlining regulations that often hinder foreign business activities in Indonesia.
He explained that he believes that now is the right time for the two countries to take advantage of the momentum created by the passing of the law.
“By investing in Indonesia, you are not only exploiting our potential, but also benefiting from our strategic location in the heart of the growing markets in East and Southeast Asia,” he remarked.
He said he hopes that in the future, a stronger bilateral economic relationship can be established between Germany and Indonesia, starting with exploring the available opportunities.
“Once again, I invite German businessmen to take part in building a mutually beneficial long-term partnership for the mutual prosperity of our two countries,” the minister said.
In spite of the pandemic, he continued, Indonesia and Germany chalked up US$3.6 billion in trade in January-August, 2020, or negative 8.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
German investors pumped more than US$1 billion into Indonesia in the 2015-2020 period, he added. Around 250 German companies operated in the country during the period. APK is an annual meeting for German companies and industry players operating in the Asia Pacific Region.
The meeting organized by the Asia Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) is the first meeting to use a digital platform.
The forum was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, high-ranking government officials from Germany, Australia, Japan, and the European Union Commission, as well as German business leaders operating in the Asia Pacific Region. [antaranews]
