Indonesia against exempting sectors in APEC<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in favor of the liberation of trade
\nand investment in all sectors under the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum's Bogor Declaration and is against the
\nexemption of certain sectors from the agenda, an official said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
"If several countries want to exempt certain sectors from the
\nagenda, others will want to do the same... In the end, all we
\nwill have is an empty basket," said Bintoro Tjokroamidjojo,
\nPresident Soeharto's special assistant for APEC.<\/p>\n
Bintoro made his comments during a panel discussion titled
\n"APEC: From Bogor to Osaka", which was held yesterday by the
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n
Other panelists at the meeting were Suhadi Mangkusuwondo, a
\nmember of the APEC's Eminent Persons Group and Abdul Rachman
\nRamly, a member of the APEC's Pacific Business Forum.<\/p>\n
Bintoro said Indonesia's stance in supporting free trade in
\nall sectors matched the "comprehensiveness principle" stipulated
\nin APEC's blueprint -- called an "Action Agenda" -- for
\nimplementing the Bogor commitments.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the principle was likely to be among the
\nhurdles faced by APEC leaders in the upcoming APEC meeting in
\nOsaka, Japan, later this month.<\/p>\n
APEC's 18 leaders agreed at the 1994 summit in Bogor to aim
\nfor overall free trade and investment by 2010 for the forum's
\ndeveloped member countries and by 2020 for its developing
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan, however, have recently
\nbegun seeking special treatment for sensitive sectors, such as
\nagriculture, in the 25-year blueprint. This has raised objections
\nfrom farm exporters such as Australia, the United States,
\nThailand and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
But most of the 18 members say that different treatment for
\nsensitive sectors would undermine last year's agreement.<\/p>\n
APEC groups Brunei, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
\nKong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New
\nZealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan,
\nThailand and the United States.<\/p>\n
Problems<\/p>\n
Suhadi said that apart from the comprehensive framework, other
\nproblems the APEC leaders might face at the Osaka summit was the
\nreluctance of industrialized countries to abide by a "concerted
\nunilateral liberalization" scheme.<\/p>\n
The scheme, which was proposed by developing economies, allows
\nAPEC members to proceed with the Bogor commitments at their own
\npace, using their individual agendas.<\/p>\n
Suhadi said developed countries were uncomfortable with this
\nand preferred to use trade negotiations and legally-binding
\nmechanisms to settle trade timetables.<\/p>\n
Another problem which may arise, he said, was the
\ncomparability principle, underlined by developed members, to
\nprevent "free riders".<\/p>\n
"Developed countries want to make sure the trade and
\ninvestment guidelines made by developing countries match -- and
\nare comparable with -- theirs," he said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on preparations for the Osaka meeting, Bintoro said
\nleaders of APEC member countries would present the initial steps,
\nor "down payments", that they have made since the Bogor summit
\nlast November.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's down payment, he said, includes the deregulation
\npackage issued by the government on May 23.<\/p>\n
The package gradually cuts back tariffs on certain commodities
\nup to the maximum level allowed by the World Trade Organization.<\/p>\n
"After the Osaka meeting, each country is expected to make
\ntheir own action plans for trade liberalization," he said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
\nAburizal Bakrie, who attended yesterday's discussion, said that
\nthe business sector was ready to face the upcoming free trade
\nera.<\/p>\n
But he questioned the readiness of Indonesia's policy makers
\nand government officials, who he said should be staunch
\nsupporters of trade liberalization.<\/p>\n
"The problem is how we stop the distortions that happen in
\nthe business world which are often backed by people in the
\ngovernment and policy makers" he said. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-against-exempting-sectors-in-apec-1447893297",
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