Transport hampers RI-Turkey trade<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The lack of direct shipping and airline services
\nis one of the main obstacles in improving bilateral trade with
\nTurkey, an Indonesian official said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Director General of Domestic Trade Ilchaedi Elyas said
\nshipping cargo or visiting Turkey through other countries made
\ntransportation costs higher.<\/p>\n
\"It makes costs higher and takes a lot of time,\" he said at
\nthe sidelines of a seminar on Turkey's economy, joint investment
\nand opportunities, hosted by the Turkish Embassy.<\/p>\n
He said both Indonesia and Turkey felt the importance of
\nopening direct shipping and airline services to boost two-way
\ntrade.<\/p>\n
\"We're working together to solve this problem. Turkey's
\ngovernment has asked Garuda Indonesia (the state-owned flag
\ncarrier) to run direct flights to Turkey,\" he remarked, saying
\nthe direct-flight plan was still being negotiated by the two
\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
Ilchaedi, who represented the director general of foreign
\ntrade at the seminar, said that Turkey, which had nine free-trade
\nzones offering tax incentives, was not only a good investment
\nopportunity for Indonesian investors, but also a potential market
\nfor exporters.<\/p>\n
Trade between the two countries has so far favored Indonesia.
\nIndonesia sent US$149.4 million in exports to Turkey last year,
\nwhile imports from Turkey totaled over $57.1 million.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's main exports to Turkey include textiles, garments,
\nforestry products, rubber and crude palm oil.<\/p>\n
Turkey's main exports to Indonesia are iron and steel,
\ntobacco, textiles, textile products and tomato ketchup.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian-Turkey Business Council of the
\nIndonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry H.M. Moezakkir said
\nthat besides shipment and transportation problems, trade between
\nthe countries was also hampered by a lack of banking ties.<\/p>\n
\"The lack of financial agreements between Indonesian and
\nTurkish banks has forced the banks to make transactions through
\nEuropean banks. This has made business more complicated,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the two countries formed a business council two years
\nago to promote the exchange of information on trade, industry and
\nother business activities.<\/p>\n
Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey Sevinc Dalyanoglu said
\nhis country had abolished all kinds of trade and foreign exchange
\nrestrictions and established free-trade zones to attract foreign
\ninvestors and to promote exports.<\/p>\n
He said the Indonesian and Turkish governments had worked
\ntogether in identifying products most needed by each country.<\/p>\n
The two governments had also set up bilateral trade forums,
\nsent trade missions and conducted trade diplomacy to expand the
\ncountries' export markets and to identify problems curbing export
\ngrowth. (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/transport-hampers-ri-turkey-trade-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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