Britain is second biggest investor in RI After Japan

London (ANTARA News) - Britain is the second biggest investor in Indonesia after Japan but many British businessmen have complained about lack of information on new investment opportunities, Indonesia`s chief investment official said.

"Britain is one of the important countries for Indonesia as its business players have remained the second biggest investor in Indonesia since 1967," chairman of the Capital Investment Coordination Board (BKPM), Muhammad Lutfi, said here on Wednesday.

Lutfi was here to promote investment opportunities in Indonesia among British business people at a business luncheon held by the Indonesian Embassy and the BKPM Representative Office in The British capital.

He said he had previously held similar meetings with French and Belgian businessmen and would do the same with Japanese investors in Tokyo, Japan, later.

The sectors in which British businessmen were operating in Indonesia included technology, coal mining and palm oil production, he said.

He admited that although the BKPM had a representative office in London many British businessmen he had met had complained about a lack of promotion on investment opportunities in Indonesia, especially those opened under the country`s new investment law.

British businessmen had also raised questions about the manpower law, overlapping regulations and the consistency of certain laws.

About overall investment growth in Indonesia, Lutfi said it had been significant, namely 176 percent from US19 billion to US$35 billion.

Hopefully, he added, with the new investment law and the government`s strong commitment, Indonesia would draw more investors and even be able to compete with such countries as Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

In order to better serve prospective investors` interests, the government would soon set up a one-gate service system for them and also provide them with other facilities and certain incentives, Lutfi said.