RI offers engineering services to OIC<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia asked Islamic countries yesterday to
\nuse its design and engineering skills to promote intra-Islamic
\ntrade and investment.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto
\nSastrosoenarto said that most Islamic countries relied on
\ndeveloped countries for their design and engineering jobs,
\nincluding civil works.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto offered the other members of the
\nOrganization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Indonesia's design and
\nengineering services, which are 30 percent cheaper than those
\noffered by developed countries,\" Hartarto told journalists after
\naccompanying President Soeharto in a meeting with representatives
\nof the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia had long developed the necessary design
\nand engineering software for a range of works, including the
\nconstruction of fertilizer, cement, steel, paper and
\npetrochemical plants.<\/p>\n
\"Their (Islamic countries) orientation is still on Europe...
\nHowever, there is an agreement among member countries to use the
\npotential offered by Indonesia and other OIC members,\" Hartarto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Yesterday afternoon, Hartarto officially closed the week-long
\nmeeting of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry and
\nIslamic businesspeople. The meeting took place in Bandung, West
\nJava, and in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Projects<\/p>\n
Islamic businesspeople from 47 OIC member and seven non-member
\ncountries at the meeting identified 75 projects worth US$554
\nmillion in 13 OIC countries.<\/p>\n
They included processed food, leather, textile, chemical,
\ncement, petrochemical, fertilizer, pharmaceutical, engineering
\nand metal work projects.<\/p>\n
The Islamic Development Bank, an OIC affiliate, has agreed in
\nprinciple to provide finance, training and technical assistance
\nfor feasibility studies on approximately 25 projects in Chad,
\nMali, Nigeria, Senegal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Turkey.<\/p>\n
\"This is the first time this has happened in this kind of
\nmeeting, and I hope other financial institutions, either Islamic
\nor non-Islamic, do the same, to provide financial assistance to
\nthe other 50 projects,\" Secretary-General of the Islamic Chamber
\nof Commerce Aqeel A. Al-Jassem said.<\/p>\n
The meeting produced the 18-point Bandung Economic
\nDeclaration, which called for the promotion of intra-Islamic
\ntrade and investment.<\/p>\n
The declaration called on OIC countries to reduce import
\ntariffs and other trade barriers, and expedite the implementation
\nof a trade preferential system to promote intra-Islamic trade.<\/p>\n
It also requested OIC countries to adopt a visa-free policy
\nfor Islamic entrepreneurs and other flexible policies to help
\nbusinesspeople and capital move more easily.<\/p>\n
It called on OIC governments to create a favorable economic
\nenvironment for trade and investment.<\/p>\n
On investment, it said industrial joint ventures should be
\nestablished by businesses in OIC countries.<\/p>\n
\"I assure you that you have strong Indonesian support to
\nimprove trade and investment among OIC member countries,\"
\nHartarto said at the closing ceremony.<\/p>\n
The chamber of commerce and the Islamic businesspeople agreed
\nto see if it was possible to establish an international Islamic
\nVillage in Indonesia to promote cultural understanding among
\nIslamic countries. The planned Islamic Village would be similar
\nto the Indonesia in Miniature Park (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah)
\nin East Jakarta. (rid)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-offers-engineering-services-to-oic-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }