Minister: Indonesia Can Facilitate RIM

VIVAnews – Research In Motion (RIM) should have not dealt with barriers to set up businesses in Indonesia, especially with regard to higher tax or luxury goods tax for manufacturing BlackBerry in Malaysia. 

According to Trade Minister, Gita Wirjawan, as long as the Canadian company is willing to cooperate, the government is ready to grant incentives to RIM.

“The BlackBerry issue is as simple as ABC. Along with the Ministry of Communications and Information, I have met and discussed matters with them,” Gita told VIVAnews on Wednesday, Jan 4. “They have stated many times to build a factory in Indonesia. However, the statements were only verbal,” he said. 

Gita mentioned that the discussion was based on trust.  Indonesia is their only hope.  “In China and India, they are facing a wall of obstacles. Their market share, stock and capitalization value are going down,” she said. 

In Indonesia, Gita said that RIM has sold 4-5 million BlackBerry units and more in the future.  “It’s a pity that they have made a deal with a company in Singapore to open a factory in Malaysia with outsourcing scheme.  It’s clever, but it’s not right,” Gita said.

Finally, Gita said, when meeting with Canada’s Trade Minister, they agreed that this is not government to government issue, but company management issue.   

“I believe in incentive and disincentive principles. If they’re willing to cooperate with us, then we can give them incentives. I can give them tax holiday,” said Gita.  “I am acting as Head of BKPM.  When the investment value exceeds Rp 1 trillion, it is very likely to give tax holiday.  There’s a Ministry of Finance regulation and Government regulation about it because it will take up a lot of workforce and create industrial downstream,” she said.