Queensland and RI: Long-term partners

The state of Queensland in Australia enjoys a long-term partnership with Indonesia that endures despite the rise and fall of economic fortunes in our region.

Present economic difficulties have not dulled the appetite of Queensland companies to seek out commercial opportunities in Indonesia and explore joint-venture possibilities with Indonesian companies.

Many Queensland businesspeople remain keen to meet prospective Indonesian partners in a wide variety of sectors, such as mining equipment and services, joint manufacturing of electrical machinery and agribusiness.

Trade between Queensland and Indonesia continues to grow, with two-way trade between the economies currently standing at US$750 million. Queensland, like Indonesia, has a highly diversified domestic economy.

Queensland is a strategic supplier of technical expertise for the exploitation of Indonesia's vast mineral resources and a provider of training to improve the skills of Indonesia's abundant human resources.

The commissioner of Queensland's trade and investment office in Jakarta, Heath McMichael said: "Queensland's relationship with Indonesia is certainly not a one-way street.

"We encourage Indonesian businesspeople to look closely at investment opportunities in Queensland, especially in areas where we have regional comparative advantage.

"The supply of live cattle, food processing and information technology packages are just some examples."

The globalization of the Indonesian and Queensland economies clearly offers challenges and benefits to both parties.

Planning and the clever application of available natural and human resources through a network of like-minded partners, can address the challenges.

Queensland and Indonesia are just such partners -- operating at differing stages of development but with complimentary programs of development and progress.

The opening of the Queensland Trade and Investment Office in Jakarta and the Queensland Representative Office in Semarang in June 1997 marked important steps forward in the Queensland- Indonesia relationship.

The main priorities of Queensland's offices in Jakarta and Semarang are to assist Queensland and Indonesian businesses to: * identify commercial opportunities, * find suitable business partners, and * facilitate two-way investment.

The two offices are also intended to strengthen government-to- government lines of communication, an important facet of ensuring that the partnerships forged between Indonesian and Queensland businesses work to advance both economies.