Pursuit Of Jokowi's IDR 900 Trillion Investment Realization, Bahlil Goes Down Directly Checks Investor Constraints: Boss's Style Is Out Of Time

Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia continues to strive to achieve the investment realization target given by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) this year, which is IDR 900 trillion. One way is to go directly to the field to check the obstacles faced by investors.

"We have to go to the field to check with our fellow investors what problems they face. Sometimes we ride motorbikes to visit their factories. So the key is good cooperation between the company and the government", he said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, August 12.

Furthermore, Bhalil said that the problems faced by each entrepreneur were different. Because of that, he said, it is impossible to beat all the problems faced equally. Moreover, the businesses that are run are different.

"So the key is that we solve their problems, we have to be present in the field. We have to work together," he said.

Bahlil admitted that being the Minister of Investment during the pandemic was not easy. Due to the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and mobility restrictions since 1.5 months ago. Therefore, fieldwork is the main key so that investment realization can be achieved.

"Don't make yourself the boss. The boss style is no longer old. So like us at the Ministry of Investment, to be honest, Honestly, we have to go down to serve businessmen in the field so we can't do it anymore with your styles. You'll see each other later, okay, but mostly in the field", he said.

In this way, Bahlil said he was optimistic that the investment realization target of IDR 900 trillion this year could be achieved. Optimism is obtained because entrepreneurs quickly adapt to overcome difficult situations. Moreover, there is currently the development of an Electronically Integrated Business Licensing or Online Single Submission (OSS) which has just been launched.

Through the business licensing application, said Bahlil, business actors can register their businesses from home without consuming money and time, especially low-risk businesses such as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

"Many people ask me, are they still optimistic to reach IDR 900 trillion? I said that it is true that the third quarter is a tough time because we have PPKM. But entrepreneurs whose brains must not give up on conditions", he said.

Bahlil said the speed with which entrepreneurs adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in the realization of BPKM investments throughout the first semester of 2021. The investment gain in 2021 is already 49.2 percent of the IDR 900 trillion targets.

Foreign Investment (PMA) in the second quarter of 2021 reached IDR 116.8 trillion or 52.4 percent, almost equal to Domestic Investment (PMDN) which amounted to IDR 106.2 trillion or 47.6 percent.

The distribution of investment has also been higher outside Java with a percentage of 51 percent, while in Java it has reached 49 percent. This phenomenon has occurred in the third quarter of 2020.