Business Update Indonesia: BKPM Wants Desk for Chinese Investors
In order to improve communication and avoid language barriers, the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) plans to open a special service desk for Chinese investors. BKPM, the investment services agency of the Indonesian government, sees language barriers between Chinese investors and Indonesians as a major obstacle; one that blocks foreign direct investment from China into Indonesia. The new desk, specifically for investment from China or Hong Kong, should improve communication hence improving realization of China's investment plans.
Franky Sibarani, Head of BKPM, said his agency detects ample interest from Chinese investors for investments in Indonesia. However, language barriers burden communication between both sides, not only at BKPM but also at other government institutions, including those in the regions. The special desk will have staff-members that speak fluent Chinese as well as a few staff-members from the Chinese Embassy. This should speed up the process of responding to inquiries from Chinese investors.
Investment realization from China, the world's second-largest economy, has risen strongly in recent years and the country is currently one of the top investors in Indonesia. Sibarani informed that investment commitments from China doubled to USD $22 billion in 2015. Although on paper Singapore is the largest investor in Indonesia, many of these Singapore companies are local units of Chinese parent companies.
Previously, BKPM had already set up special desks for Japanese and South Korean investors.