RI'S ONE-STOP SERVICES POLICY EXPECTED TO BOOST A'LIAN INVESTMENT

Jakarta, Jan 21 (ANTARA) - The policy to apply the one-stop services system in Indonesia's investment sector is expected to encourage more Australian investors to sink their capital in the country, Australia's top diplomat here said.

Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer, said in an interview here on Thursday.

"We are very encouraged by the commitment of the chief of Indonesia's Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Gita Wirjawan, to apply the one-stop services system for investors. The new policy is expected to make much easier for Australian investors to put their money in several industrial sectors in Indonesia," Farmer said.

Citing an example, Farmer said, Australian investment in the mining sector in Indonesia had decreased over the past few years for several reasons, namely security conditions in Indonesia which some investors considered to be not conducive.

"Some investors in the mining sector have complained about difficulties in obtaining approvals from local and national government officials because the latter adhere to different policies," he said.

Up till now, there were 400 Australian companies engaged in several sectors in Indonesia, namely mining, finance, banking, transportation and food and beverages.

BKPM chief Gita Wirjawan, on November 2009 or a month after his installation, stated he would give priority to efforts to create an integrated one-stop services system to improve the process of investment approvals in Indonesia.

The policy was adopted in line with the government's commitment to make it easier for local and foreign investors to operate in Indonesia.