Indonesia, Finland seek to boost trade, investment
Indonesia, Finland seek to boost trade, investment
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is expecting to attract as much as US$4 million in
foreign direct investments (FDIs) from Finland in the coming
years, following the strengthening of economic and trade
relations between the two countries.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Finland-Indonesia Business
Forum on Monday, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
(Kadin) Mohamad S. Hidayat said such a figure was reasonable,
considering Finland had recently been active in investing in
Indonesia's telecommunications, forestry and transportation
sectors.
"We will also encourage Finnish businesses to invest more in
the fisheries and maritime sector, in which they are known to
have world-class expertise," he said.
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Mari
Kiviniemi is currently on a four-day visit to Indonesia with a
delegation of Finnish business representatives, to bolster the
country's economic ties with Indonesia in her meeting with
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie and
Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu.
The delegation consists of several major Finnish companies,
including Ahlstrom, KCI Konecranes, Metso, Vaisala, GE
Healthcare, Tieturi Vision, Sanako, Patria, Nordea, Bang &
Bonsomer, Silo, Calyon Bank, NSH Nordbank, Martin Bencher and
Finnvera.
Two-way trade between Finland and Indonesia has been rapidly
increasing, reaching 245 million euro (some US$290 million) last
year, with a 9 million euro surplus for Finland.
Finland's exports to Indonesia of mainly telecommunications
equipment and machinery for the forestry and energy sector has
continued to rise by 71 percent in the period ending in June,
while Indonesia's exports of minerals, chemicals, food and
beverages also increased by more than double.
Meanwhile, albeit still small, investments from the
Scandinavian nation to Indonesia are also on the rise, reaching
$0.3 million in the period ending August, from $0.1 million last
year.
During the occasion, Kiviniemi also signed a memorandum of
understanding with World Bank country director for Indonesia,
Andrew Steer, on Finland's 8 million euro contribution to the
multidonor trust fund for the reconstruction of Aceh.
Finland is also expected to donate another 3 million euro
through the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO) and 2 million euro through the International Labor
Organization (ILO).