The All Indonesia District Administrations Association (Apkasi) will set up an online application system to make it easier for those seeking to invest in the countrys regions, its chairman Mardani H Maming said here on Saturday.
“The online application system will help investors wishing to know about potential of any region,” he said, adding the system is planned to be launched in 2017.
Mardani, who is also the district head of Tanah Bumbu, South Kalimantan province, stated that he hoped the new system would make importers able to buy commodities directly from producers.
Also, the same system could be used as a mechanism for distributing subsidy to regions in need, he explained.
Citing an example, he said a region that did not produce rice could obtain the produce from other regions to ensure it remained well stocked.
Apkasi organized Investment and Trade International Summit 2016 at JIExpo Kemayoran in Central Jakarta from May 5-7 in an effort to attract investment.
Mardani informed that a number of investment and trade related transactions were made during the event, including in plantation, animal husbandry, infrastructure and tourism sectors.
“Memorandums of understanding have also been signed with foreign parties, including those from Japan and China,” he said.
In the speech marking the events conclusion on Saturday, President Joko Widodo urged the regional governments in the country to develop their respective regions potential.
He called on them to focus on a certain area for efficiency and to also ease control.
He cited the example of a region that only provided golfing facilities and grew as a result.
“It is not impossible for regions here to develop only sugar or fish. If they do so, these will become known as sugar or fish regions,” he said.
He also asked the regional governments to speed up the licensing process.
“If BKPM (capital investment coordinating board) could finish the process of giving eight licenses within an hour, the regional governments must also be able to do the same,” he stated.
The government is continuing to make efforts to improve ease of doing business in the country, he said.
“Several years ago, we were ranked 120th in ease of doing business index. Last year, we were at 109th out of 189 countries, far below the list topper Singapore, or Malaysia at 18th and Thailand at 49th,” he elaborated.
He said he has ordered the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs to ensure that the country achieves the 40th rank this year, he said.
“Breakthroughs must be made to achieve it. This is our common task. It is not impossible to achieve it, but we need to work hard. We must not be at ranks lower than 100 or so forever,” he urged.
The president again reminded that Indonesia has now entered a competitive era, and said, “If we are unable to change ourselves, we will be run over. We must win the competition if we wish to become a victorious nation.”
