RI–Netherlands Are Getting More Intimate, Coordinating Minister For Airlangga Asks PM Mark Rutte To Build A Chip Factory In Indonesia

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Menko) of Indonesia, Airlangga Hartarto, has recently held a bilateral meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the 2022 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (WEFAM) agenda in Davos-Switzerland.

In today's press statement, Coordinating Minister Airlangga revealed that representatives of the two countries discussed economic cooperation relations and the current global situation.

"Indonesia encourages cooperation opportunities in the field of semiconductors (chips), as well as the development of investment by Dutch companies in Indonesia," he said on Thursday, May 26.

According to Airlangga, several Dutch investments that have been realized in the country include Unilever in the oleochemical sector in the Sei Mangkei SEZ, Philips in the health sector, and Frisian Flag for the construction of a milk factory in Cikarang.

"We also convey that Indonesia is currently carrying out regulatory reforms related to investment that make business activities easier," he said.

Furthermore, Airlangga explained that Indonesia has officially invited Dutch PM Mark Rutte to be present at the G20 Summit in Bali, on November 15-16, 2022.

On the same occasion, PM Mark Rutte hopes that the investment process for the business expansion of Dutch companies will be easier with structural reforms that can shorten the time of the licensing process in Indonesia.

"We are ready to welcome if Indonesia provides the opportunity to invest in education, both for higher education and vocational training, including opening up the widest possible opportunities for Indonesian students who want to study in the Netherlands," he said.

For information, bilateral trade between Indonesia and the Netherlands always shows a surplus for Indonesia. In 2020, the value of bilateral trade was recorded at 3.92 billion US dollars, with details of Indonesia's exports reaching 3.11 billion US dollars and imports worth 804.3 million US dollars.