REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chief of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Lembong has called for integrated approaches which focus on several projects to attract investors.

In an effort to attract investors, the government has offered too many projects but it does not focus on main projects, he told a press briefing here on Wednesday.

"So far, our approaches are not appropriate. We have not used integrated approaches. Our approaches cover all dimensions and do not focus (on several projects)," he said. 

The government is trying to use integrated approaches which cover all dimensions, including transportation, energy, communication, tourism and industrial estates.

"Now what we have to do is to focus on two or three projects which cover all dimensions. The present momentum of Chinese investment to Indonesia is very good," he said.

He said the government is preparing steps particularly to attract investment during the One Belt One Road (OBOR) Summit to be held in Beijing from May 14 to 15. The meeting is expected to bring together 28 heads of state/government.

The OBOR Summit will be the biggest ever infrastructure meeting in the world. At the Summit, the heads of state/government are expected to agree on US$300 billion to US$500 billion in fund to finance projects in the next 10 years.

However, Indonesia can now attract US$5 billion to US$6 billion, well below the amount of fund entering Pakistan at US$62 billion, the Philippines at US$24 billion and Malaysia at US$30 billion.

"Indonesia must now catch up with many other countries which have moved very far. Frankly speaking, we do not have many choices, but to take part in the program," he said. 

Indonesia is eying Chinese investment during the summit. President Joko Widodo is set to attend the two-day meeting.

According to BKPM, Chinese investment in Indonesia reached US$1.01 billion in 2016 compared to US$160 million in 2015.

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