Australia targets RI in $7.2m campaign

Australia targets RI in $7.2m campaign

JAKARTA (JP): Australia is targeting Indonesia, along with
South Korea, Thailand and the Shanghai region of China, in its
multimillion-dollar campaign to draw more attention to its
technological capacity.

When launching the "Inventive Australia" campaign here
yesterday, visiting Australian Trade Minister Senator Bob
McMullan said many Indonesian officials remain hazy about
Australia's strength in technology and services.

The 15-month campaign, which was launched in Australia last
month with a total budget of A$10 million (US$7.2 million), will
focus on pushing 10 sectors: telecommunications, aerospace,
environment, marine, medical, education, food technology, energy,
information technology and financial services.

"We aim to present Australia as a country well-placed to
supply Indonesia's demands for hi-tech goods and services by
featuring these examples of our inventiveness," McMullan
explained.

He said that Australian companies occasionally miss out on
bids for hi-tech projects in Indonesia because not everybody in
this country is aware of their technological skills.

At the moment, he said, if Indonesians look for high-tech
products and services, they turn to the United States, Japan or
Germany.

"Now add us to the list, and then choose the best products in
each particular case," McMullan said.

Nevertheless, he said, Indonesia has developed a better
appreciation of Australia's technological capacity compared to
other countries in the region due to a closer economic
relationship.

He said its other Asian neighbors were also unaware of
Australia's fundamental economic transformation, which has
involved deregulation, internationalization and the opening-up of
its economy.

"Some of our main markets still don't appreciate that
manufactures now make up almost a third of our total exports.
They don't know that services now account for nearly three
quarters of our gross national product and almost a quarter of
our total exports," McMullan said.

Meetings

McMullan held a meeting yesterday with his Indonesian
counterpart, Minister of Trade Satrio B. Joedono. He also plans
to meet with Coordinating Minister of Trade and Industry Hartarto
and State Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo.

McMullan said that during his meetings with Indonesian
decision-makers, he would talk about opportunities for Australian
investment in infrastructures such as airports and sea ports in
addition to steel and motor vehicle manufacturing.

Today, he is scheduled to attend a three-day meeting between
Indonesian and Australian business people in Semarang, Central
Java.

According to 1993 data, Australia held only a 4.9 percent
share of Indonesia's merchandise imports of US$28.3 billion. In
services, Australia's market share was only 4.1 percent of
Indonesia's total imports in services of US$8.9 billion. (rid)