BKPM: Freeport negotiations is expected to success

FREEPORT-JAKARTA. The success in the negotiations between the government and PT Freeport Indonesia will give a good impact on the investment climate in Indonesia, according to the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

"We expect Freeport's negotiations with the government to come up with the best solution," Riyatno, the head of Legal Aid Center of the BKPM, stated at an Indonesian business climate seminar in Jakarta on Wednesday.

BKPM still expects the negotiations to end with a win-win solution, enabling other investors to feel at ease with their investment when they see the results of negotiations with PT Freeport Indonesia.

Previously, in general, the Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Trikasih Lembong explained that there were five major complaints made by the investors who invest in Indonesia.

He stated that the major complaint of investors was regarding the frequent changes in the regulations.

"The major complaint of all investors is regulation. There are about 43 thousand regulations ranging from Presidential Regulation, Ministerial Regulation, Head of Institution Regulation to Regional Regulation that changes without prior transitional period. Maybe, our competence in making policy needs to be improved," he remarked.

Lembong, who is a former trade minister, explained that the next complaint was about taxes. According to him, the tax was not just the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance, in this case the Directorate General of Taxation, but a common responsibility.

"It is our shared responsibility on how to build a fair system and a culture of taxation. Therefore, the tax burden should not just be on the industrial sector," he revealed.

The next complaint was about work permits, especially for foreign nationals. In addition, the delay in obtaining permit issuance for land affairs has also become another complaint.

"In many local governments, the issuance of IMB (Building Permit) may take years. The last complaint was about the infrastructure projects handled by state-owned enterprises (SOEs)," he remarked.

He added that the investors were highly interested to invest in Indonesia, especially after the increase of Indonesia's rating by research institutions in the category of investment grade.

Infrastructure development in Indonesia has also contributed to a boost in investment.