Bank Indonesia Governor Still Optimistic on Foreign Investment

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo, remains certain that foreign investors still retain substantial interest to invest funds in Indonesia, due to Indonesia's economy, Perry assessed, remaining strong and stable.

"Together with Mr. Deputy Minister [of Finance Suahasil Nazara], we communicated directly with global investors, last Tuesday; all global investors still have confidence in Indonesia because of its economic management," Perry said in a live streaming on the latest economic developments, on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

According to Perry, foreign investors are appreciative of the various steps that have been taken to dampen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and the economy of financial markets.

Furthermore, Perry continued, foreign investors believe that Indonesia has managed its economy in the current condition admirably. "They (foreign investors) certainly cannot be blamed for their perceptions, as all the world’s investors are panicking," he said.

The panic of financial and economic market investors, which has continued to occur since the last two weeks, has made foreign capital flow swiftly out of Indonesia, which Perry believes, to be a global problem.

In spite of this, Perry noted that on Thursday, March 26, 2020 a number of investors have returned to buying financial assets, both on the stock market and state securities (SBN). "Once the panic subsided, they reentered (the Indonesian market) because they still remain confident in the Indonesian economy," Perry added.

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO