Govt and 'IHT' to hold Indonesia Summit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government, in cooperation with the American
\ndaily International Herald Tribune, will hold an Indonesia Summit
\nfrom May 13-14 next year, featuring foreign and domestic
\ngovernment officials and private sector leaders as speakers.<\/p>\n
The event, which will be opened by President Soeharto, is
\nexpected to be an interactive forum between decision makers from
\nlocal and foreign governments as well as the private sector.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto told
\nreporters here yesterday that the forum will discuss market
\nliberalization in line with commitments from the Uruguay Round of
\nGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations, the ASEAN
\nFree Trade Area (AFTA) agreement and the action agenda of the
\nAsia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.<\/p>\n
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, under the AFTA
\nagreement, is committed to liberalizing trade among its members
\nby the year 2003, while APEC will liberalize trade and investment
\nby 2010 for its developed member economies and by 2020 for its
\ndeveloping members.<\/p>\n
\"Through the event, we will encourage more synergies of both
\nmultinational and other companies to invest in Indonesia,\"
\nHartarto said.<\/p>\n
\"There is a great chance for Indonesia to be the manufacturing
\nbase of overseas companies for the sales of their products in the
\nASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In addition to industrial opportunities, Indonesia also offers
\nprivate firms the possibility to get involved with infrastructure
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
Participants in the two-day summit will have the opportunity
\nto analyze the prospects of the Indonesian economy and how they
\ncan take part in it, he said.<\/p>\n
Meeting<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the IHT's chief executive and publisher, Richard
\nMcClean, said that the Indonesia Summit was planned after he met
\nwith Hartarto in Beijing last April.<\/p>\n
Hartarto was a keynote speaker at the IHT's second annual
\n\"summit\", where he invited the IHT to work with the Indonesian
\ngovernment on an Indonesia Summit.<\/p>\n
Asked about the government's efforts to minimize illegal
\nlevies, about which many business groups complain, Hartarto said:
\n\"We are very cautious about a high-cost economy. We are going to
\nannounce the next deregulation package soon to help reduce the
\nhigh-cost economy. So just be patient.\"<\/p>\n
He said the government has launched a series of deregulatory
\nmeasures to make the economy more efficient and to attract more
\nforeign investments into the country.<\/p>\n
The Investment Coordinating Board has approved an increasing
\nnumber of investment commitments, though the implementation of
\nthe commitments is still low.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Investment\/Chairman of the Investment
\nCoordinating Board Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo said yesterday that
\nsince 1967 to Nov. 15 this year, nearly US$130.8 billion in
\nforeign investment committments have been approved. However, only
\n51.3 percent of the commitments have been implemented. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-and-iht-to-hold-indonesia-summit-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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