Apple is asked to add investment of more than IDR 1.58 trillion so that the iPhone 16 can be officially sold

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – The iPhone 16 series has not been officially sold in Indonesia until now. One of the reasons is that Apple’s investment proposal of USD 100 million (around Rp. 1.58 trillion) is considered not to have met the government’s expectations.

The government, through the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), wants greater investment from the technology giant.

“The hope is that Apple will not only comply with the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) regulations but will also have a significant economic impact on Indonesia,” said Ministry of Industry spokesperson, Febri Hendri Antoni Arif, as quoted from Liputan6.com BusinessMonday (25/11/2024).

R&D and Collaboration with Local Industry

Apart from setting up factories, the Indonesian government also offered Apple the option to build a research and development (R&D) center in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

According to Febri, this is in line with Apple’s widely recognized strength in AI-based technology.

“If it is not yet possible to build a semiconductor factory, Apple can focus on developing AI R&D in Indonesia,” he added.

Not only that, the government is also encouraging the Cupertino-based company to collaborate with local producers.

Components such as cables, chargers and other accessories can be supplied from domestic industry. This step is believed to be able to have a multiplier effect, especially in creating jobs.

Big Impact on the Indonesian Economy

Through this collaboration, the government also hopes to be able to encourage Indonesian industry to enter the global supply chain.

That way, the impact will not only be felt by the technology sector but also other supporting industries.

“If Apple buys products from domestic industries as part of their iPhone components, etc., the impact will be significant, especially in terms of labor,” concluded Febri.

With this government pressure, will Apple increase its investment in Indonesia? Or will the iPhone 16 still be difficult to sell officially? We are waiting for the strategic steps that the technology company from Cupertino will take.