Indonesia appeals to British companies as the referendum nears.
As the UK’s referendum whether to remain or leave the European Union on 23 June 2016 draws closer, there are concerns about the future of British businesses and their trade should Brexit go ahead.
Rizal Sukma, the Indonesian Ambassador to the UK and the Republic of Ireland reassured the UK that Indonesia has great business opportunities for British companies, strengthened since the ASEAN Economic Community was founded at the end of 2015.
“Indonesia is a key power in ASEAN in a dynamic East Asia that is becoming the centre of global politics and economics,” said Sukma whilst attending the International Festival for Business 2016 that was held in Liverpool, England, last week. Stating that Indonesia plays a vital part in the region, and how doing business has eased thanks to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s agenda who has issued economic packages with the aim of increasing Indonesia’s ranking on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list.
“President Jokowi’s experience as a businessman has driven him to tackle the barriers in business. One of the President’s policies in simplifying the bureaucratic process is to issue investment licenses within three hours,” said Sukma.
The Indonesian Investment Promotion Center was also in attendance. Nurul Ichwan, director, said, “We make use of the presence of hundreds British businesses to offer the opportunity to invest in Indonesia’s priority sectors, such as infrastructure and manufacturing, as well as provide consultation to the investors”.
Whilst the future of the UK still remains up in the air, Indonesia is providing alternative solutions should Brexit be the majority.
