Bahlil Calls Tom Lembong Only Jago Makes Speech, Not Smart Brings Investors

Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia dismantled the ulcers of the leadership of Thomas Lembong or Tom Lembong at BKPM. One of them never reached the investment target.

Initially, Bahlil said, although investment realization increases every year when Tom Lembong becomes the Head of BKPM, it does not reach the target of the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

Bahlil explained that the investment target in 2016 was IDR 594.8 trillion and the realization was IDR 612.8 trillion. Then in 2017 IDR 678.80 trillion, but the realization was only IDR 692.9 trillion.

After that in 2018, the target set was IDR 765 trillion, but the realization was only IDR 721.3 trillion.

"So in the phase there is a target that has not been achieved. Then we entered in 2019 the target is IDR 792 trillion, the realization is IDR 809 trillion," he said at a press conference at the BKPM Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 24.

Bahlil assessed that Tom Lembong was only good at making speeches, but was incompetent in bringing in investors.

The reason is, apart from not achieving the investment target, Tom Lembong also left a stalled investment.

The former official who graduated from Harvard, whose school was great, is no better than the current official. So, it doesn't have to be the one who says he is good at making the speech can execute investment, if you want it to be good," said Bahlil.

Bahlil revealed that the legacy of the stalled investment project left by Tom Lembong was IDR 708 trillion.

However, 78 percent of the stalled investment has been completed.

"I am included in BKPM, not October 2019, I was inherited by my previous leader with a stalled investment of Rp708 trillion, and thank God, in the no more than three years of stalled investment, we can execute Rp558 trillion or 78.9 percent," he said.

Bahlil admitted that the stalled investment did not reach 100 percent, because many companies chose not to invest because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The rest we cannot execute because of the COVID pandemic and the companies are backing down. This is also my report to the public, not that we cannot execute, but indeed the company is experiencing all kinds of internal problems," he explained.