Australia Keen To Invest Us$172 Mln In Indonesia's Maritime Sector

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Representative Office of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in Sydney, Australia, has noted the interest of Australian businesses to invest in the Indonesian maritime sector worth US$172 million or about Rp2.3 trillion.

BKPM Head Franky Sibarani said in a press statement made available to Antara here on Sunday that the maritime sector on which the Australian businesses were keen to invest include cruise service, shipyard industry and lobster cultivation business.

"The investment interest consists of port terminals worth US$30 million, Tanjung Siapi-api port operation valued at US$120 million, cruise service expansion project worth US$7 million, shipyard worth US$10 million and lobster cultivation valued at US$5 million," Franky said.

He said that five investors which were interested in running business in the maritime sector in Indonesia were located in the western part of Australia.

"Therefore, the representative office of the BKPM will coordinate with the Indonesian representative office in Perth to follow up the desire of the Australian investors," the BKPM head said.

Franky said that the desire of the Australian businesses to invest in the maritime sector was in line with the government's program to develop the country's maritime sector.

"After all, some of the Australian investors choose the eastern part of Indonesia as locations for their investment. This will  have positive impact in boosting equitable investment across the country," he said.

He said the Australian investors could now directly start their construction work by choosing business locations in 14 industrial zones where the government offered a direct construction investment facility (KLIK).

"With the offered facility, the Indonesian investment attractiveness will no longer the same as that in the previous years. Therefore, the Australian investors could make use of this optimally," he said.

The Investment Promotion Affairs Head of the BKPM in Sydney Sri Moertiningroem said the BKPM had coordinated with the Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) in Perth to monitor the keenness of the Australian investors.

"Besides with the AIBC, we continue to promote improvement of investment facilities in Indonesia in cooperation with BKPM counterparts Austrade in the federal level and with the investment promotion institution of Western Australia," he said.

Based on the BKPM records, realization of Australian investment in Indonesia in 2015 was ranked twelfth on the list(of foreign investment) amounting to US$167 million with 443 projects.

In the 2010-2015 period, the Australian investment in Indonesia was recorded US$2.07 billion. (WDY)