RI to include experts in WTO negotiation team

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is planning to appoint several experts as members of the national negotiating team for the World Trade Organization's (WTO) round talks, according to a senior official at the trade and industry ministry.

"The appointment of the experts is part of our efforts to strengthen our position in the upcoming WTO round talks," Herry Soetanto, director for multilateral cooperation told The Jakarta Post.

He refused to name the experts, but sources said the ministry had proposed three names to President Megawati Soekarnoputri for approval: noted economists Djisman Simandjuntak, Mari Pangestu and former Indonesian ambassador to the WTO Hasan Kartadjoemena.

Herry said that the appointment of the experts was in line with the government's plan to revise existing presidential decree No.18/2001, signed by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, on the national negotiating team for the WTO talks.

"We hope the new decree can be issued before June this year," he said.

The national team of negotiators for the WTO round talks will be chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade Rini M. Soewandi, he said.

Herry said several directors general from all departments would be included as new team members.

Halida Miljani, who is a senior official at the ministry, will continue her function as the country's ambassador to the WTO.

The current WTO negotiation team, formed during the Abdurrahman administration, as well as the previous ones, consisted of only government officials and the representative of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. And none of the teams included experts.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGO) have often criticized the country's WTO negotiation team for its "poor" performance during WTO meetings.

They also blamed the teams for failing to articulate the people's interest during the meetings.

The 142 member countries of the WTO agreed last year in Qatar to launch the Doha round talks to lower barriers to trade in goods, services and agricultural products.

The WTO members have started meetings in Geneva to prepare for the Doha round talks.

Herry said the preparatory meeting would last for several months and he predicted the WTO members would start talking about trading issues in June this year.

Indonesia is now being represented by Halida during the preparatory talks, while the national negotiating team will leave for Geneva shortly before the trade talks begin.

The WTO has given its members until June this year to submit their position regarding the service sector, which the world's trade body seeks to liberalize, he said.

The Indonesian team will state the country's position regarding the service issue during the meeting, Herry said, but he refused to provide details.

Developing countries mostly seek to protect their service sector from foreign investors for fear of the sector being dominated by companies from developed countries.