« Back Toshiba’s CEO Visits Jakarta to Announce Company’s Vision for Southeast Asia and Indonesia

— To invest US$1 billion over next five years, aims to double current sales in region

–Establish new infrastructure business company in Jakarta

Jakarta, Indonesia—Mr. Hisao Tanaka, the President and CEO of Japan’s Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502), reconfirmed the company’s commitment to Indonesia and Southeast Asia at a press conference in Jakarta today.

Sharing Toshiba’s vision for the region, a future built around a safe, secure and comfortable society, Mr. Tanaka underlined Toshiba’s capabilities and its determination to contribute to Southeast Asia’s continued growth and development, and showcased infrastructure technologies and know-how the company can deploy to support the realization of a better future.

He also outlined the company’s plan to invest US1 billion dollars in the region over the next five years, and its strategy to double its current regional annual sales to $7 billion dollars.

In his comments focusing on Indonesia, Mr. Tanaka pointed out that the rapid economic growth and urbanization of recent years have triggered a number of issues, including demand for generating capacity to ensure a stable power supply, urban gridlock, and the need for advances in healthcare and disaster prevention. He underlined that Toshiba had technologies and expertise that could contribute to more safe, secure and comfortable lives for the Indonesian people, and announced that a new company, P.T. Toshiba Asia Pacific Indonesia, would provide a vehicle for their deployment.

He explained that P.T. Toshiba Asia Pacific Indonesia is now readying to start operation in October 2014. It will be headquartered in Jakarta, but its scope will be nationwide. “With this new company, backed up by the resources and know-how of the entire Toshiba Group, we will do all we can to contribute to Indonesia’s sustainable growth, and we hope to provide infrastructure systems that make a positive improvement to people’s lives.”

Turning to energy, he said that: “Toshiba Group already uses its diverse capabilities to contribute to Indonesia’s energy supply. We installed our first hydropower system in Indonesia in 1974, our record to date includes four thermal power plants, one of them the Tanjung Jati B coal-fired thermal power plant; 33 units of hydroelectric turbines for 11 hydroelectric power plants; and the Patuha Unit 1 project, geothermal power plant now under construction in West Java.” He also noted that Toshiba has recently been awarded a major contract to supply geothermal steam turbines and generators for the Sarulla geothermal power plant project, one of the world’s largest geothermal plants, now under construction in Tapanuli Utara.

Mr. Tanaka underlined the importance of Southeast Asia to Toshiba, and of Indonesia: “Southeast Asia is a long established strategic manufacturing hub for our major businesses. Indonesia is attracting attention for its economic growth and its large consumer market. But for Toshiba, it is also very important production base. We have thoroughly restructured our TV business in recent years to focus on Southeast Asia, and Indonesia now plays a strategic role as our main in-house production site. We also have a newly built washing machine facility here that employs 1,700 people. Our production site in Batam manufactures barcode readers, POS terminals and printers for business, and it currently has 2,000 employees”“

Looking at relations between Southeast Asia and Japan, Mr. Tanaka referenced a recent survey which found that 33% of people in the region, by far the largest group, considered Japan its most reliable partner. He commented: “That hands of friendship adds to the importance of our partnership. As we have located many strategic manufacturing hubs in Southeast Asia, ensuring stable power supply, putting in place disaster prevention measures and upgrading social infrastructure, are all as important to us as they are to people here.”

In closing, Mr. Tanaka reiterated the importance of Southeast Asia to Toshiba’s future. “Southeast Asia is dynamic and forward looking, and so is Toshiba. More than anything else, I want Toshiba Group to engage deeply in Southeast Asia, to understand and respond to the unique qualities of each country. Guided by our long-standing values and local wisdom, I want Toshiba to grow in harmony with the countries and communities of Southeast Asia, and to achieve our vision of creating a safe, secure and comfortable society, the ‘Human Smart Community”.

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2024