Forum established to help RI's WTO team

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A group of government officials, experts, businessmen and non- governmental organization (NGO) activists have set up a forum to study issues to be discussed at the upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) talks.

The forum will provide inputs for the country's negotiating team to fight for Indonesian interests in the WTO talks.

"The establishment of the forum is part of our efforts to strengthen our position in the WTO meeting," Dian Triansyah Djani, director for multilateral trade and industry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Jakarta Post.

The idea of establishing the forum came from foreign minister Hasan Wirayuda, he said.

Dian, a member of the forum, said the forum would host periodic roundtable discussions about WTO issues across the country, aimed at boosting people's awareness and understanding of the benefits of market liberalization.

"We don't want to repeat past mistakes, in which we failed to provide enough information about the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), hence many people today are still unaware of the implementation of AFTA," he said.

Economists who have agreed to join the club include Hadi Soesastro, Chatib Basri, businessman Anton J. Supit and Bonnie Setiawan of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID).

On the government side, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, Minister of Trade and Industry Rini M. Soewandi and Hasan Wirayuda have also agreed to become members, Dian said.

Last year, President Megawati Soekarnoputri formed the national WTO team, which is chaired by Rini with experts including Mary Pangestu, Marzuki Usman, Djisman Simanjuntak and Hasan Kartadjoemena.

Indonesia's negotiating team in WTO is currently chaired Bustami Gusmardi.