Mon, June 13 2011 18:10 | Editor: Priyambodo RH

akarta, June 13, 2011 -  The Indonesian government is expecting foreign companies to invest at least 10 billion US dollars in Indonesia as a result of the World Economic Forum-Eat Asia , said Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Gita Wirjawan here Monday.

"Major foreign companies from Korea, India and Japan are expected to invest up to 10 billion US dollars in Indonesia," said Gita at the World Economic Forum East Asia (WEFEA) being held in Jakarta June 12-13, 2011.

Gita said major companies such as Toyota, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi had committed to expand their operations and investment moe capital in Indonesia.

"South Korea`s Hankook Tires will also be investing in Indonesia," said Gita.

The new foreign investments and expansion of foreign company operations in Indonesia would also create new job opportunities for Indonesian workers , Gita said.

"Education is a fundamental matter in the employment of Indonesian labor," he said.

According to the WEF Director for Asia, Sushant Palakurthi Rao at the same occasion, the number of participants in the World Economic Forum East Asia 2011 was higher than in last year`s event.

The previous WEF-EA which was held in Vietnam was only attended by some 450 participants, while the 2011 event was attended by more than 600 participants from various countries.

"Last year the participants numbered about 450 but this year there are more than 600 participants or 42 percent more than last year in Vietnam," said Sushant Palakurthi.

Palakurthi said the increasing number of the WEF-EA meeting participants shows the enthusiasm for the progress achieved by Indonesia in recent years.

Indonesia was chosen as the host of the meeting WEF-EA 2011 as an ideal location for the event as well as celebrations marking the 20th WEF East Asia due to its ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Chairmanship in 2011, the biggest economies in East Asia, and members of the G-20.

WEF meeting was attended by government leaders, businessmen, civil society, and academia.

The grand theme of this 2011 WEF-EA held here in Indonesia was "Responding to The New Globalism" in responding the tensions condition of the old and the new world in the globalization era.
(Uu.A050/HAJM/F001)