Jakarta – The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) admitted Thursday that it was difficult to lure investors from the US and European countries to invest in Indonesia.

BKPM head Gita Wirjawan said the declining number of Indonesian workers and students in the US and Europe had made it hard to promote Indonesia.

"Maybe we need to open more Indonesian restaurants and send more workers to [the US and Europe]," he said as quoted by kompas.com. "They could promote Indonesia and show that the Indonesian economy has changed."

However, Gita was upbeat that Indonesia could attract more investors from the US and Europe. "Mercedes, Nokia, Siemens Network and many other large companies operate here. They already know the scene here," he said.