Bali summit attracts huge interest

Bali summit attracts huge interest

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

About 1,000 businessmen from ASEAN countries, as well as
Japan, China, India and South Korea are expected to attend the
first ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the popular resort
island of Bali on from Oct. 5 to Oct. 7, according to the
organizer.

The event will be held in conjunction with the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit. Heads of
government from Japan, China, South Korea and India are expected
to attend both summits.

Chairman of the organizing committee Tanri Abeng said the
business and investment summit was expected to help boost
investment and trade activities among the region's 500 million
people. Southeast Asia has a combined gross domestic product of
about US$700 billion.

"There will be a lot of business discussions and hopefully
some transactions," he told The Jakarta Post in an interview on
Wednesday.

Tanri said the summit would not only consist of a dialogue
forum between businesses and government leaders, but also include
a "business matching" forum where businesspeople could develop
networks and possibly make business transactions.

Meetings and discussions will be organized around seven
industry areas considered by the committee as the most attractive
(see box).

Tanri hoped local business leaders could take advantage of the
program to develop new networks.

"State-owned companies will also be encouraged to participate
to promote their products or services, and hopefully could even
attract new investment in their particular sectors."

Tanri said the committee had invited 50 of Indonesia's most
attractive regencies to participate in the event where they can
present business opportunities in their respective regions.

Box

ASEAN groupings for seven industry sectors

1. Agriculture, plantations, food processing, fisheries, timber
and wood products
2. Infrastructure, energy, mining, industrial tools and heavy
equipment, transportation, chemicals, and plastics
3. Finance, banking, property
4. Logistics, tourism, trade
5. Education, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines
6. Electronics, information technology and telecommunications
7. Consumer products, textiles, garments, shoes, jewelry