Erick Thohir: All Countries Can Invest In Indonesia, Not Only China

SOE Minister Erick Thohir at Sarinah Building, Central Jakarta. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Ad Interim Erick Thohir denied that the Indonesian government was too focused on foreign investment from China.

He said, the government is also open to other countries that want to invest in Indonesia.

"If Mr. Jusuf Kalla talks about Indonesia, he will focus on Chinese investment. I don't think so," he told reporters, written on Sunday, October 15.

One of the proofs, said Erick, is that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is included in the Belawan Port construction project as a foreign investment. In fact, India also helped build airports in Indonesia.

The port in Belawan is the same as the UAE. Airport is with India. Then, there is an electric car with Korean Hyundai, and Ford also wants to enter from America, and VW Germany," he said.

"Indonesia as an independent country, we highly uphold what is called balanced investment from any government," continued Erick.

He stressed that the government is currently pushing for quality economic growth in the country. Especially preventing sharp disparities.

"But what is certain is that I personally as the minister of SOEs, and as Erick Thohir, ensure that our names do not support the richer gap, the poor will get poorer. But we intervene with government policies or SOEs. So we want everything to be good," he said.