At a ministerial council meeting between the two countries in October, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed regarding cooperation in capacity-building and increasing protection and assistance for witnesses and victims of crimes. Both governments spoke of mutual respect, trust, and benefits — and a month later Indonesian companies signed a US$1 billion agreement with two Australian healthcare providers for the construction of health facilities in West Java.

As the bilateral relations continue to grow, further public and private cooperation is likely. Lombok-based real estate developer Invest Islands believes 2021 will be the year the IA-CEPA will start to benefit individual investors. Company co-founder Kevin Deisser says, with Indonesia’s strict regulations related to foreign-backed ventures expected to ease in the coming months, investment from Down Under is likely to increase in the near future.

Invest Islands Perth, Australia office. Source: Invest Islands.

“We noted a rise in enquiries from Australia at the tail end of last year and that is expected to intensify as the law changes come into effect,” said Belgium-born Deisser. “Of course, the consequences of the pandemic mean it is currently difficult for Australians to visit Indonesia, but technology helps in terms of drone footage and video conferencing. We also now have a physical presence in Australia that ensures our products and services are more accessible than ever.”

Following a highly successful Q4 that saw Invest Islands’s Torok Hill Resort in South Lombok win Best Upcoming Hotel Development in Indonesia and Best Hospitality Development in Asia at the 2020 PropertyGuru Awards, the company has started 2021 on the front foot. The company, which already has offices in Indonesia and Hong Kong, opened its first satellite office in Australia last month.

Lombok. Source: Invest Islands.

Invest Islands has grown considerably in recent years courtesy of a simple premise and a promise of high-quality. The company provides foreigners with a mechanism to purchase premium real estate assets in Indonesia without the need for a local nominee. The new office is located within Perth’s historic Fremantle Markets and Melbourne-based Connect International Group (CIG) have been brought in to provide accounts and legal assistance that will help make client investment in Indonesia’s fast-evolving property market not only easier, but also more cost efficient. 

Pinky Tang, CIG’s senior manager of corporate finance, corporate advisory and asian operations, said: “We are an integrated provider of accounting, audit, business advisory, capital finance, taxation and training services to Australian and International markets through one connected team. We are excited about Invest Island’s growing presence in Australia and are looking forward to potential future collaborations.”

Sumba. Source: Invest Islands.

Invest Islands offers prime plots of beachfront and beach-facing land on the islands of Lombok and Sumba starting from AU$50,000. Lombok, situated just 30 minutes east of Bali, has been identified for development by the Indonesian Government as it looks to diversify the nation’s tourism industry. Pre-pandemic, Lombok was attracting a little more than one million tourists per year, with close to a fifth coming from Australia. Compare this to Bali’s six million visitors per year and there is plenty room for growth and diversification.

The Mandalika International Street Circuit, centerpiece of Lombok’s AU$3.9 billion federal-backed Mandalika Project, will host the Indonesian MotoGP for at least the next 10 years. Meanwhile golf courses, waterparks, and private residences are all in the pipeline and various international hotel chains have already broken ground on luxury projects in and around the area. 

Sumba. Source: Invest Islands.

Understandably then, as land in Bali continues to rise in cost, Lombok is becoming an increasingly popular choice for foreign investors. Plot prices on the island have increased more than 200 percent since 2016, yet still list for as little as AU$300 per square-metre. Compare that to Bali, where land costing AU$385 per square-metre five years ago is now worth more than AU$1,300, and it is easy to understand why Invest Islands is confident even more Australians will be investing in the future.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are of Invest Islands and readers should rely on their independent advice in relation to such matters. 

Click here for more information about Invest Islands.

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