JAKARTA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government has requested Apple to invest 1 billion U.S. dollars to gain approval to sell its latest iPhone 16 model in the world's fourth most populous country, a minister said on Tuesday.
"We already talked with Apple about the first stage of the investment. We ask for an investment of 1 billion dollars for the first stage," said Indonesian Minister of Investment Rosan Roeslani during a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta.
He said the investment was required because the Indonesian government wanted Apple to help drive Indonesia's economy and create added value for the local industry.
"Indonesia wants Apple to include Indonesian industries in its global supply chain. Invest here, then create jobs here, too," he said.
Currently, Indonesia has not allowed Apple to sell its newest iPhone version in the Southeast Asian country despite its potential market for the tech company. It was previously reported that Apple has not met Indonesia's minimum local content requirements. ■