Vice President Asks Japanese Companies To Increase Investment

Tokyo (Antara Bali) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is on a visit to Japan, asked Japanese companies to increase investment in Indonesia.

"We discussed wide ranging issue such as increase in investment in Indonesia," Kalla said here on Monday.

Kalla has met with leaders of a number of Japanese companies such as  Itochi, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Nomura, dan Sumitomo as well as leaders of the Keidanren.

In 2014, Itochu  was reported to team up with Thailand's Charoen Pokphand (CP) planning to invest US$8 billion in a China's  CITIC Group in 2015. It would be the largest investment by Itochu outside Japan  and the largest acquisition in China by a Japanese company.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Yusron Ihza Mahendra said the Japanese companies raised issues such as land clearing, working permit that are potential to hamper investment.

Earlier Kalla said interest of Japanese investors in doing business in Indonesia grew taking advantage of the falling value of rupiah. Currently more Japanese companies want to invest in southeast Asia including Indonesia. (WDY)