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The Investment Dilemma of Aceh

By @ayijufridar
Investment issue in Aceh like rosebuds; its beauty and fragrance is tempting to pluck, but without caution will make the hand pierced thorns. Various advantages of Aceh in the field of mining and agriculture, it becomes a "curse" if not good at managing it.

The problem of investment in Aceh has again become the public spotlight lately. Not only the moment of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle or IMT-GT which was just followed by the arrival of Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Chairul Tanjung, in general, Aceh has a serious problem with the climate that never improved. IMT-GT Chairman, Dato 'Faudzi Naim Haji Noh, even assess the investment promotion of Aceh is still plenteous so not many investors are interested.

Investment Inefficiency

Looking more deeply, the problem of investment in Aceh is not just a matter of promotion that is plebeian. There are still many investment constraints that have not been resolved either that are part of a national or a typical Aceh issue. Regulatory issues from the center, licensing, interest rates, exchange rates, and taxation are beyond the authority of Aceh. However, the Aceh Government can set the screen for central variables to improve wind investment in Indonesia, including Aceh.

Ideal role is still a utopia of investment amid the sad condition in Aceh which instead of inviting investors, instead "expel" investors. Extremely high stealth tax issues include those that are typical of Aceh and a condition that leads to investment inefficiency. Various promotions made by the Government of Aceh become meaningless if the cost of stealth is not reduced to then be eliminated.

Stealth taxes are also available in other areas. The difference, outside of Aceh is more controlled and they do not bear the psychological burden as a former area of armed conflict. Investors must have estimated their total cost with details, including thug taxes. Practice in Aceh has become more difficult because after "smoothing" one group, there are other groups that participate blackmail. A few years ago, a survey team from a multinational company was asked for a smartphone by a certain group in the interior of North Aceh with the threat of kidnapping if it was not met. Finally, the survey was canceled and the planned construction of a crude palm oil (CPO) processing factory was canceled. Abductions of workers have occurred several times in Aceh, including foreign workers in the oil and gas sector in East Aceh who added the Negative List of Investment (DNI) in Aceh. DNI includes the important variables that investors consider.

Infra and superstructure

The location of Aceh at the western edge of the Indonesian territory is often called strategic because it borders directly with a number of Asean countries. However, this condition is also often viewed on the contrary because of increased distribution costs and access limitations. Compounded by the transportation conditions from and Aceh is not surfing other areas, especially Medan. The consolidation of plans by a number of district governments to open access to air transport should be supported. It's just that the intensity needs to be increased with increasing passenger volume so as not to harm the airline. Transportations that shorten the distance and time become everything for investors to facilitate the entry of goods, services, and people.

The problem of bureaucratic licensing and the availability of sufficient information is also a variable that should be improved by the Government of Aceh. The availability of skilled labor, raw materials, and other resources is increasingly asserting that improving the investment climate is not just a matter of infrastructure, but also the superstructure. Many aspects outside of investment that should get attention because it is directly or indirectly related to the investment climate. The government can not possibly improve it without the support of business and society.

No matter what the Aceh Government's efforts to improve the investment climate - without the availability of adequate power supplies - will have little effect. Electricity deficits are a constraint to high-cost investments in different regions, not just in Aceh. However, the Aceh Government could continue to improve the electricity constraints by optimizing the power plants owned by PT Kertas Kraft Aceh and PT Arun NGL.

Aceh can actually enjoy the positive trend of increased investment in Indonesia. The release of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) showed that in the first quarter of 2014, there was an increase in investment to Rp106.6 trillion, an increase of 14.6 percent (Rp93 trillion) from the same period in 2013. However, this increase is mostly sucked in Java (58, 2 percent).

The welcome attitude of the Government of Aceh to investors, on the other hand, do not forget the interests of society in the culture and nature sustainability. Some mining and forest sector investment permits, do not harm Aceh for the long term. Investments should give the maximum benefit to society and nature, not short-term gain to the authorities or even be a disaster.[]

This article was published at www.atjehpost.co on September 29, 2014. Link: http://www.atjehpost.co/articles/read/11984/Dilema-Investasi-Aceh

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Dilema Investasi Aceh

Oleh @ayijufridar
MASALAH investasi di Aceh seperti kuntum mawar; keindahan dan keharumannya menggoda untuk memetik, tetapi tanpa kehati-hatian akan membuat tangan tertusuk duri. Berbagai keunggulan Aceh di bidang pertambangan dan pertanian, justru menjadi “kutukan” bila tidak pandai mengelolanya.

Masalah investasi di Aceh kembali menjadi sorotan publik belakangan ini. Tak hanya momen Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle atau IMT-GT yang baru berlangsung disusul kedatangan Menko Perekonomian Chairul Tanjung, secara umum pun Aceh punya masalah serius dengan iklim yang tak kunjung membaik. Ketua IMT-GT, Dato’ Faudzi Naim Haji Noh, bahkan menilai promosi investasi Aceh masih kampungan sehingga tidak banyak investor yang berminat.

Inefisiensi investasi

Kalau ditilik lebih dalam, masalah investasi di Aceh bukan hanya soal promosi yang kampungan. Masih banyak kendala investasi belum diselesaikan baik yang menjadi bagian dari persoalan nasional atau yang khas Aceh. Masalah regulasi dari pusat, perizinan, suku bunga, nilai tukar, dan perpajakan memang di luar kewenangan Aceh. Namun, Pemerintah Aceh bisa mengatur layar agar variabel pusat bisa memperbaiki angin investasi di Indonesia, termasuk Aceh.

Peran ideal itu masih menjadi utopia investasi di tengah kondisi menyedihkan di Aceh yang justru bukannya mengundang investor, sebaliknya malah “mengusir” investor. Masalah pajak siluman yang terlalu tinggi termasuk di antaranya yang khas Aceh dan menjadi kondisi yang menyebabkan inefisiensi investasi. Berbagai promosi yang dilakukan Pemerintah Aceh menjadi tidak berarti jika biaya siluman tidak dikurangi untuk kemudian dihilangkan.

Pajak siluman juga terdapat di daerah lain. Bedanya, di luar Aceh jumlahnya lebih terkendali dan mereka tidak menanggung beban psikologis sebagai bekas daerah konflik bersenjata. Investor pasti sudah memperkirakan total biaya yang mereka keluarkan dengan detail, termasuk pajak preman. Praktik di Aceh menjadi lebih sulit karena setelah “melicinkan” satu kelompok, ada kelompok lain yang ikut memeras. Beberapa tahun lalu, tim survei dari sebuah perusahaan multinasional dimintai smartphone oleh kelompok tertentu di pedalaman Aceh Utara dengan ancaman penculikan kalau tak dipenuhi. Akhirnya, survei dibatalkan dan rencana pembangunan pabrik pengolahan crude palm oil (CPO) batal dibangun. Penculikan terhadap pekerja pernah beberapa kali terjadi di Aceh, termasuk pekerja asing sektor migas di Aceh Timur yang menambah Daftar Negatif Investasi (DNI) di Aceh. DNI termasuk variabel penting yang menjadi pertimbangan investor.

Infra dan suprastruktur

Letak Aceh di ujung Barat wilayah Indonesia sering disebut strategis karena berbatasan langsung dengan sejumlah negara Asean. Namun, kondisi ini juga sering dipandang sebaliknya karena meningkatnya ongkos distribusi dan keterbatasan akses. Diperparah lagi dengan kondisi transportasi dari dan Aceh tidak selancar daerah lain, terutama Medan. Pemantapan rencana sejumlah pemerintah kabupaten untuk membuka akses transportasi udara patut didukung. Hanya saja intensitasnya perlu ditingkatkan dengan volume penumpang yang terus meningkat agar tidak merugikan maskapai penerbangan. Transportasi yang mempersingkat jarak dan waktu menjadi segala-galanya bagi investor untuk mempermudah keluar masuknya barang, jasa, dan manusia.

Masalah birokrasi perizinan dan ketersediaan informasi yang cukup juga menjadi variabel yang harus diperbaiki Pemerintah Aceh. Ketersediaan tenaga kerja yang cakap, bahan baku, dan sumber daya lainnya kian menegaskan bahwa memperbaiki iklim investasi bukan semata persoalan infrastuktur, tetapi juga suprastruktur. Banyak aspek di luar investasi yang justru harus mendapat perhatian karena secara langsung atau tak langsung berhubungan dengan iklim investasi. Pemerintah tak mungkin mampu memperbaikinya tanpa dukungan dunia usaha dan masyarakat.

Sebaik apa pun upaya Pemerintah Aceh dalam memperbaiki iklim investasi – tanpa dukungan tersedianya pasokan listrik memadai – maka tidak banyak berpengaruh. Defisit tenaga listrik menjadi kendala investasi berbiaya tinggi di berbagai daerah, bukan hanya di Aceh. Namun, Pemerintah Aceh bisa terus memperbaiki kendala kelistrikan dengan mengoptimalkan pembangkit listrik yang dimiliki PT Kertas Kraft Aceh dan PT Arun NGL.

Aceh sebenarnya bisa ikut menikmati tren positif dari peningkatan investasi di Indonesia yang meningkat. Rilis Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM) menunjukkan pada triwulan pertama 2014, terjadi peningkatan investasi menjadi Rp106,6 triliun atau meningkat 14,6 persen (Rp93 trilun) dari periode sama tahun 2013. Namun, peningkatan ini banyak tersedot di pulau Jawa (58,2 persen).

Sikap welcome Pemerintah Aceh terhadap investor, di sisi lain jangan sampai melupakan kepentingan masyarakat secara budaya dan kelestarian alam. Beberapa izin investasi sektor pertambangan dan kehutanan, jangan sampai merugikan Aceh untuk jangka panjang. Investasi harus memberi manfaat sebesar-besarnya kepada masyarakat dan alam, bukan keuntungan jangka pendek bagi penguasa atau malah menjadi bencana.[]

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Tulisan ini dipublish di situs www.atjehpost.co pada 29 September 2014. Link: http://www.atjehpost.co/articles/read/11984/Dilema-Investasi-Aceh atau di sini

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