RI and Britain inaugurate business council<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Britain inaugurated yesterday the
\nIndonesian British Business Council as part of their long-term
\nplan to boost bilateral trade.<\/p>\n
The council brings together a number of high ranking
\nIndonesian and British business figures and will be led by Tanri
\nAbeng, chief executive officer of the Bakrie Group, and Alan
\nJones, the chairman of BICC, whose presence in Indonesia is
\nthrough both BICC and Balfour Beatty Sakti.<\/p>\n
The British minister for trade, Lord Clinton-Davis, said that
\nthe council would explore ways to enhance investment
\nrelationships and endeavor to foster small and medium enterprise
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
Clinton-Davis said that the British government applauded the
\npositive steps taken by the Indonesian government to address its
\ncurrent economic difficulties.<\/p>\n
\"Though you are facing a tough test at the moment, I am
\nconfident that you will soon resume an upward economic trend,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"The large group of British companies that have chosen to
\ntravel with me to Jakarta this week believe the same. That is why
\nthey are here.\"<\/p>\n
Trade between the two countries has so far favored Indonesia.
\nIndonesia's export to Britain reached US$ 1.5 billion last year,
\nwhile imports from the U.K were about $1.3 billion.<\/p>\n
According to the Investment Coordinating Board's statistics,
\nBritain is the second largest foreign investor here. The
\ncountry's investments in Indonesia totaled $3.4 billion in 1996,
\nwhich consisted of 232 projects.<\/p>\n
Investments cover a wide spectrum of industries, including
\npaper, food, hotels and tourism, plantations, nonmetal minerals,
\nelectricity, oil and gas, and water.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto
\nsaid in his speech that the presence of a significant number of
\ndistinguished British delegations in Jakarta reflected the
\nBritish government and private sector's continued interest in
\nIndonesia despite the currency crisis.<\/p>\n
\"Although British investment in Indonesia is considered to be
\nthe second biggest, it is however admitted that the cooperation
\nbetween the two countries still needs to be enhanced, especially
\nat the private sector level,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The first meeting of IBBC will include a series of events to
\nprofile UK products and technology, such as the Spotlight UK
\nexhibition which runs from today through Friday at the Shangrila
\nHotel.<\/p>\n
The exhibition will be host to a gala fashion show and a
\nseries of seminars on health care, design, oil and gas, and
\nagribusiness to enhance the UK's commercial image in Indonesia.
\n(08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-and-britain-inaugurate-business-council-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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