Maystadt here to boost Indonesian-Belgian ties

Maystadt here to boost Indonesian-Belgian ties

JAKARTA (JP): Visiting Belgian Vice Prime Minister Philippe
Maystadt met with President Soeharto yesterday in a bid to boost
economic cooperation between the two countries.

Maystadt, who is also minister of finance and foreign trade,
disclosed that Belgian private companies were especially
interested in the business of rail transportation and water
purification.

Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad and the Belgian vice prime
minister signed an agreement yesterday on the prevention of
double taxation and tax evasion.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia
exported goods worth US$681 million in 1996 to Belgium and
Luxembourg, while its imports from the two countries were only
$393 million.

According to Belgian Embassy figures for 1996, Indonesian
exports to Belgium were worth $400 million, while imports were
only worth $300 million.

Belgium, a member of the World Bank-led Consultative Group on
Indonesia has not committed any loans to Indonesia for the
1997/1998 fiscal year.

In the 1996/1997 fiscal year it committed $16.1 million.

"I hope that the two countries can boost their trade and
economic relations," Maystadt said. (prb)