America expected to reinstall RI trade status, House told<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is optimistic the United States
\nwill retain its policy on trade privileges provided to Indonesia
\nunder the Generalized System of Preference (GSP).<\/p>\n
The government is certain that Washington will prioritize its
\ngood bilateral ties with Indonesia rather than making big issues
\nout of things like labor standards and human rights, Director
\nGeneral for Foreign Economic Affairs Wisber Loeis said in a
\nhearing with House of Representatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
\"We are optimistic that the U.S. government will finally
\ndecide not to rescind our GSP status because of Indonesia's
\nimproving labor standards and our ties with other nations,\" he
\ntold DPR Commission I on foreign affairs.<\/p>\n
After a six-month suspension, which started on February 15,
\nWashington will decide whether or not to cancel trade privileges
\nnext month. They are expected to announce their decision in
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
Washington has threatened to permanently suspend trade
\nprivileges under the GSP to Indonesia, which it says has a poor
\nrecord of labor standards.<\/p>\n
Wisber said that the government has asked the International
\nLabor Organization to provide Indonesia with technical assistance
\nto improve the labor standards, noting that it has been making
\nprogress in the last two years.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. government has acknowledged that labor conditions
\nhave improved,\" he said presumably referring to the last six
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said recently that the
\ngovernment would continue to enhance the workers' conditions but
\nargued that the improvement was made not because of U.S.
\npressure.<\/p>\n
Wisber said that the U.S. government was striving to eradicate
\nall obstacles in its bilateral ties with Indonesia to ensure
\nsuccess at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
\nmeeting, to be held in Jakarta in September.<\/p>\n
\"Developed countries, especially the United States, Japan and
\nAustralia, are serving their own national interests in
\nencouraging Indonesia to make the summit a success,\" he said.<\/p>\n
U.S. President Bill Clinton is scheduled to attend the meeting
\nwhere many of the problems facing to the two countries, including
\nthe GSP issue, will be discussed, Wisber said.<\/p>\n
When asked if Washington will decide to eventually suspend
\nIndonesia's GSP status, Wisber said it was the U.S.'s right to
\nmake such a decision and that it would not affect Indonesia's
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want donor countries, including the United States,
\nto tie political conditions with financial and economic
\ncooperation. We will never beg them to make a decision benefiting
\nus,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia earned some US$640 million in 1992 from its selected
\nproducts exported to the United States under the GSP facility.<\/p>\n
Military aid<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Director General for Foreign Political Affairs
\nIzhar Ibrahim, who also attended the hearing, said that the
\nUnited States wanted to lift its military aid ban.<\/p>\n
\"In a meeting last week, the U.S. Senate voted for lifting the
\nban and the proposal has been submitted to the Congress for
\napproval within 14 days,\" he said. He added that the proposal was
\nbrought to the Senate for review by Senator Donald Johnson of
\nLouisiana.<\/p>\n
In October of 1992, the U.S. froze some 2.3 million dollars in
\ninternational military education and training (IMET) to Indonesia
\nbecause of the tragic incident in Dili, East Timor on Nov. 12,
\n1991, in which 50 protesters were killed. (rms)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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