Businessmen to study AFTA strategy<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of local businessmen started gathering here on Tuesday
\nto study strategies for the local industrial sector to remain
\ncompetitive after Indonesia and other countries grouped in the
\nAssociation of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) start
\nimplementing a free trade scheme in the region in three months
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Businessman Aburizal Bakrie, who is also chairman of the
\nIndonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), which
\norganized the two-day conference, said the conference, titled
\n\"The Preparation of the Business Sector for AFTA\", was aimed at
\nexamining the preparations by the local industrial sector for the
\nso-termed AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area).<\/p>\n
The conference was also aimed at collecting comment from
\nindustry players for the government on measures to help the local
\nindustrial sector to compete during the free trade era.<\/p>\n
\"We are gathering here to collect any inputs aimed at
\nempowering our industrial sector in anticipation of AFTA,\"
\nAburizal said.<\/p>\n
He said the conclusion of the meeting would be presented as
\ninputs and recommendations to the government for empowering the
\nlocal industrial sector during the free trade era.<\/p>\n
AFTA was agreed upon in 1993, with the implementation of the
\nfree trade scheme initially scheduled for 2008. The free trade
\ntimeframe was later accelerated to 2003.<\/p>\n
In a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam in December 1998, ASEAN
\nministers later sped up the deadline to 2002 for six member
\ncountries, namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, and Thailand.<\/p>\n
These countries have to lower their import tariffs for most of
\ntheir manufacturing and agricultural products to between zero
\npercent and five percent, starting in 2002.<\/p>\n
Other less-developed member countries of ASEAN are allowed to
\nimplement AFTA in later years, with Vietnam in 2006, Laos and
\nMyanmar in 2008, and Cambodia in 2010.<\/p>",
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"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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