0 Infrastructure Event Aims To Attract Global Investors

International media company Tarsus Group has snared the contract to organize the Indonesia International Infrastructure Conference and Exhibition in November. The event aims to develop the industries that are supporting the government’s Rp 4,000 trillion ($414 billion) Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development (MP3EI). Tarsus Group managing director Douglas Emslie said his company was looking forward to using its expertise and international network to attract global participants to the event. 

He added that the Tarsus Group has extended the international reach of the conference to 22 countries. The three-day conference, which will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center, is expected to attract 7,000 visitors, said event director Alan Solowiejczyk. It attracted 4,540 visitors last year. “The reason we hold it in November is that we want to take full advantage of the APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] summit,” Solowiejczyk said. The Tarsus Group was chosen to organizing the event because Indonesia’s infrastructure is rapidly changing and globally significant, Emslie said. 

“We are looking for markets and sectors that are in transition. A lot of future opportunities are there,” he said. Didik Suwondho, the deputy chairman of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said the aim of the event is to provide a “friendly facility” for foreign investors exploring opportunities here. “MP3EI is globally known. Its projects and prospects are starting to get recognition from international investors.,” Didik said. But he urged the government to be consistent in its infrastructure policy, saying: “There was an infrastructure project offered, but after investors declared their intention to participate in the bid, the government appointed a [state] company to handle it. 

This sends the wrong signals to investors.” While not identifying the project, he was likely alluding to the Jakarta port expansion. Government officials spoke about the role of the event in fostering dialogue with private investors. Bastari Panji, the deputy for public-private partnerships at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said the government planned to provide updates on the progress of infrastructure development. He said that a similar event held last year played a significant role in the country’s infrastructure push. 

“There were five infrastructure projects that we showcased at the event last year and all have been progressing well,” he said. Bastari said that infrastructure remains the biggest constraint on Indonesia’s economic progress. “Our spending for infrastructure is between 1 and 1.5 percent, while ideally it should be around 5 percent,” he added. Wahyu Utomo, the deputy coordinating minister for the economy, said the conference will help to keep up Indonesia’s strong economic momentum. “Infrastructure provides more resilience for Indonesia’s economy,” Wahyu said. “We [the government] have revised 41 regulations to attract private investors due to the limit of our state budget.”

source : the jakarta globe