(Bloomberg) -- A senior official of Boeing Co. and a Nobel laureate are among the early holders of Indonesian golden visas, which have attracted 300 applicants since the program’s launch almost a year ago, the nation’s top immigration official said.
Southeast Asia’s largest economy has generated 2 trillion rupiah ($123 million) worth of investment from the program and wants more, Silmy Karim, director general of immigration, said Thursday at an event promoting the visas, which give five- and 10-year permits for individuals and investors. He didn’t identify the Boeing official or the Nobel winner.
OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman was the first person to get the visa after Indonesia introduced the program last year. Elon Musk is also a target for the program that aims to lure 1,000 participants this year, according to Karim, with the nation’s chief investment coordinator Luhut Panjaitan planning a trip to the US next month to meet with him.
“This is to make it easier for foreign nationals to invest, and work in our country, so as to attract more good quality travelers,” outgoing President Joko Widodo said at the same event.
The program may offer an additional draw for investors that Jokowi, as the leader is known, wants to attract to help build Indonesia’s new capital. The move to tap remote talent and attract investment also mirrors steps that neighbors such as Singapore and Thailand have taken to aid their post-pandemic recovery. Across the globe, countries have rolled out golden visas to help turbo charge their economies.
“We want more and more money to circulate,” Jokowi said. “We want global talent to enter the country and have an impact.”
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