REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesia is optimistic that investment will continue to increase, especially in the area of developing smelters.

"Investors would continue to come and I think smelters' development will be an attractive sector. I have seen that many projects are already being finalized. Hopefully, in the next few months, the smelters will start operating, especially for nickel and iron ore," the head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Mahendra Siregar, said on Wednesday.

He said investment in bauxite processing had also started to increase and would consequently result in promoting the country's program of downstream mining development and attracting more investment in the basic metal and petrochemical sectors.

"I see it as a response to our wish to strengthen the downstream sector, be it in the petrochemical or iron ore sector. I think that their projects would also be realized soon," he said.

Mahendra said that investment relating to consumers products would continue to grow and the predicted expansion would also happen. He said Samsung also planned to build a plant in Indonesia to assemble and also to produce cell phones.

The company will use the plot of land available in Bekasi or East Jakarta, he said. In principle, the company has expressed its intention and next steps are currently being processed at the ministry of industry, he added.

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