Based on Law No. 25/2007 regarding Investment (New Investment Law), a foreign investment in Indonesia is defined as an investing activity conducted by a foreign investor for the purpose of running a business within the territory of Indonesia. The legal entity through which a foreign person, foreign company, or foreign government body can conduct business in Indonesia (meaning generating revenue streams and profit) is the PT PMA. The establishment of a PT PMA is regulated by Law No. 40/2007 regarding Limited Liability Companies (Company Law). Such a company can be either 100 percent foreign-owned or partially foreign-owned.
It is important to stress that various sectors in Indonesia are closed, or partially closed, to foreign investment. In case a sector is partially closed to foreign investment, then the list states the maximum allowed percentage of foreign ownership. This means that you will need to have a local (Indonesian) partner in order to engage in business in that particular sector.