Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) arrived in Indonesia on Thursday at the head of a large business delegation, saying the nation held great promise as an investment destination.
Indonesia has launched a drive to spend around US$156 billion on infrastructure over the next five years, but admits it will only be able to fund less than half, with the remainder to come from private investors.
Taiwanese companies are seen as one of the biggest potential sources of the capital to help the Indonesia reach its growth target of around 7.7 percent by 2014.
“Taiwan’s investments in Indonesia as of June 2010 reached US$14 billion, and Indonesia represents an important investment country in Southeast Asia for Taiwan,” Shih told reporters in Jakarta. “Indonesia will also be an indispensable country for our overseas manufacturing endeavors.”
Representatives of 36 companies are among Shih’s delegation.
Shih was to meet Coordinating Investment Board chief Gita Wirjawan yesterday, officials said.
The deputy director general of investment services at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Kao Jen-kai (高振愷), said Indonesia was among four countries alongside China, India and Vietnam that Taiwan was targeting for greater investment. Opportunities include motorcycle parts, bicycles, clothing and electrical appliances, he said.
Jakarta’s stock exchange has surged more than 30 percent this year, mainly because of foreign buying of resources stocks.
Separately, the annual International Small Business Congress (ISBC) will be held in Taipei Oct. 5 to Oct. 7, the ISBC said yesterday.
The congress, now in its 36th year, groups policymakers and participants from around the world in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.
This year’s conference is expected to draw around 600 delegates from 30 countries, said Robert Lai (賴杉桂), director-general of the ministry’s SME Administration.
The conference focuses on topics that include SME opportunities in responding to changes in the external environment, new business opportunities in the greater China area and innovation in entrepreneurship, he said.
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