TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Economist Lana
Soelistianingsih from the Universitas Indonesia said Indonesia’s
biggest challenge in investment is the people’s lack of interest and knowledge,
which is why the government has to provide intensive education.
"Education is important as knowledge about
market so that the spread of local and foreign investors is more equal,"
said Lana Tuesday. Even distribution of local and foreign investors will
protect Indonesia from foreign pressures.
Currently, foreign investors have larger percentage
in stock investment with 51 percent and government bonds with 35.8 percent,
making Indonesia depending too much on foreign investment.
There are two things causing the people’s lack of
interest in investment. First of all, small per capita income. Even though
investment costs are now cheap, per capita income of Rp3 million a month is
considered scant. "People still put a lot of thought in saving, let alone
investment," Lana said.
Second of all, the people’s lack of awareness of the
importance of investment. In order to overcome this, the government must start
introducing investment at school. "[The introduction must] start in junior
in high school," Lana added.
Indonesia is facing five challenges in physical
investment: Corruption, inefficient bureaucracy, lack of inadequate
infrastructure, overlap between policies of the central and regional
governments and expensive cost of loans.
In the short-term, the government can improve
infrastructure and obviate the overlap between the central and regional
governments. "For the other three [challenges], a long-term plan is needed
in order to improve them," said Lana.
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