REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TOKYO -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), on a visit here, asked Japan to make Indonesia a strategic production base instead of only as a market.

Jokowi, in a collective courtesy call and business forum attended by Japanese business leaders and officials, said Japan should not see Indonesia worth only a potential market for their products.

"I wants Indonesia not only as a market but a production base for automotive and electronic components and all export oriented goods," he said.

He said he promised help in tackling problems in the field if the Japanese are serious in investing Indonesia.

He pledged to cope with the problems often complained about by Japanese investors in Indonesia.

He acknowledge there are still bottlenecks hampering investment in Indonesia, but he said, his government had strong commitment for improvement.

"Indonesia wants to boost exports of finished or semi finished products not raw materials," he said.

He said Japan has the technology and experience to help Indonesia to bring to reality its program.

Jokowi was accompanied by Chief Economics Minister Sofyan Djalil, State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, BKPM head Franky Sibarani, and chairman of KADIN Suryo Bambang Sulisto.

Collective Courtesy Call was attended by a number of top Japanese business leaders including from Hitachi, Daihatsu Motor Corp, IHI Corp, Inpex, Itochu, J-Power, JX Nippon Oil and Energy, Marubeni, Nikkei Inc, Sumitomo Corp, Ajinomoto, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Honda, JFE Steel, J-Trust, Mitsubishi Corp, NEC, Panasonic Corp, SMBC, and Sojitz.

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