Indonesia sets up six regional desks to tackle investment hurdles
The desks will coordinate licensing and help resolve investor problems, with the North Sumatra office based in Medan.
Indonesia is establishing a network of six regional investment desks to help projects proceed faster and address obstacles facing businesses, Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Todotua Pasaribu said at the North Sumatra desk’s launch in Medan.
The designated locations are Batam in Riau Islands, Denpasar in Bali, Medan in North Sumatra, Semarang in Central Java, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan and Makassar in South Sulawesi. Batam and Denpasar already have desks, which Pasaribu said had helped overcome investment difficulties and improve licensing coordination.
The North Sumatra desk operates from the Medan Investment and Integrated One-Stop Services Office. Pasaribu said the network would strengthen cooperation between regional authorities and businesses, while bringing licensing services together through the Online Single Submission (OSS) system, involving 38 ministries, agencies and regional governments.
North Sumatra recorded Rp37 trillion in realised investment during January–September 2026. Domestic investment contributed Rp22.1 trillion, or 59.8 per cent, while foreign investment accounted for Rp14.9 trillion, or 40.2 per cent.
The province’s quarterly figures were Rp13 trillion for the first quarter, Rp9.5 trillion for the second and Rp14.5 trillion for the third. Deli Serdang District and Medan City attracted the largest amounts of investment.
Pasaribu said the desks would also identify local investment opportunities and improve coordination between authorities, businesses and both existing and prospective investors.
