Congratulations To Bahlil Lahadalia, Erick Thohir: Hopefully His Investment Will Go Up Big

Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of BUMN)

JAKARTA - State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Minister Erick Thohir congratulated Bahlil Lahadalia who was recently appointed as Investment Minister by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Erick hopes that by upgrading the status of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to a ministry, it can attract more investment into the country.

"Congratulations on becoming a minister. Hopefully, because you have become a minister, the investment will increase greatly, as conveyed by the Minister of Finance (Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani)," he said in a central development coordination meeting 2021 which was broadcast virtually, Thursday, April 29.

Furthermore, Erick quoted Sri Mulyani's statement that investment is the backbone of the economy apart from other sectors, such as BUMN. In fact, the contribution of investment to gross domestic product or GDP reaches 30 percent.

As is known, yesterday, President Joko Widodo officially appointed Bahlil Lahadalia as Minister of Investment. The inauguration of the new minister is based on Presidential Decree number 72P / 2021 concerning the formation and change of ministries and several state ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet for the remaining term of office for the 2019-2024 period.

Previously, the Minister of Investment Bahlil Lahadalia said that he was ready to realize the incoming investment target of IDR 900 trillion from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"The investment target is Rp. 856 trillion from Bappenas but the President (targets) Rp. 900 trillion. As a soldier, I run it. Later in 2022 we will evaluate it, see the development of COVID and implement regulations," he said, in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, April 28.

According to Bahlil, his ministry will later become a keypoint to connect, synergize both investment from abroad and from within the country both from the regional and central government to become one door.

Furthermore, Bahlil said that according to President Jokowi's direction through the Job Creation Law to facilitate investment licensing. This is because, he said, holding back an investor's permission to invest is the same as holding back national economic growth.

"It is the same as withholding jobs, as well as withholding sources of state revenue from the state and the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) or the ease of doing business index. We will not experience improvement," he said.

Bahlil explained that President Joko Widodo asked for economic transformation by increasing added value and equitable economic growth from Aceh to Papua.

"What we are doing today is to increase quality investment for PMA and PMDN but also to equalize investment growth in Java and outside Java because the President sees a large area, not only focusing on one island," he said.