Legislator states that Indonesia-US ART must benefit Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission VII from the PDI Perjuangan faction, Banyu Biru Djarot, emphasised that negotiations for the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART/bilateral trade agreement) between Indonesia and the United States must benefit the Republic of Indonesia. “It must be ensured that various deals across different sectors do not harm our country’s sovereignty and independence. We must not slip into an agreement that locks in our nation’s own room for manoeuvre,” Banyu said in an official press release received in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to him, these ART negotiations will have a significant impact, particularly on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This means MSME products must compete with cheaper foreign products. “This agreement must not end up harming our textile MSME actors. They are one of the front lines of the people’s economy. The state is obliged to be present to ensure they are protected from unbalanced competition,” he said. In addition, Banyu highlighted the importance of safeguarding Indonesia’s digital sovereignty as part of national sovereignty, especially in the context of technology- and data-based trade clauses in the ART. “Data is the new oil as well as a national asset. In the digital economy era, data protection must not be compromised,” he stated. Therefore, he invited all parties to monitor the progress of these ART negotiations. Not only at the legislative level, he also asked the public to monitor the ART to ensure that the agreement points do not harm the country’s sovereignty. “We must ensure that every clause related to digital trade remains subject to national interests and Indonesia’s data security,” he said.