RI, U.S. business sectors stepping up cooperation
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and American businessmen agreed yesterday to deepen cooperation, thereby giving substance to what they call the Bogor Declaration of APEC leaders.
"We, the business community, are players that will support and turn the vision of our leaders into reality," declared Tony Agus Ardie, Chairman of the Indonesian-U.S. Business Committee.
Tony and Russell King, Chairman of the U.S.-Indonesia Committee of the U.S-ASEAN Business Council, signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday designed to increase communication between businessmen of both countries.
The agreement will provide better channels for Indonesian and American businessmen to come into contact, seek partners and develop business deals.
Tony, who is also Chairman of the Indokor business group, attached special importance to the agreement as it will give high priority to developing small and medium-size enterprises.
"We have agreed to focus attention on small and medium-size enterprise development because it is vital for the continued growth of our respective economies," Tony pointed out.
He pointed out that it is small and medium-size businesses which create most of the new job openings and provide specialized services and products.
The declaration issued by the economic leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum at Bogor on Tuesday also stipulates the crucial role of small and medium-size enterprises in fueling economic growth in the region.
Implementation
Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aburizal Bakrie, who witnessed the signing, welcomed the agreement as an immediate step to implement the APEC leaders' declaration.
King hailed the agreement as another mechanism to increase economic ties and interaction between businessmen in the third and fourth largest populous countries in the world.
Through the mechanism, King added, the Indonesia-U.S. Business Committee and its American equivalent will increase exchanges of information, work on business promotion activities and missions.
"Indonesia's opportunities encompass not just the Freeports, Fluors, General Motors and General Electrics of the business community but also the small and medium-sized enterprises," King pointed out.
"What we are doing here is to put some real meat behind the declaration (of APEC leaders)," noted Bob Driscoll, President of the U.S-ASEAN Business Council.
The signing ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel was also attended by Indonesian business leaders such as A.R. Ramly, Chairman of Astra International, James Riady of the Lippo Group, Sukamdani S. Gitosardjono, Chairman of the Sahid Group, and resident American businessmen and several who came from the U.S. such as Stanley Russ of the Arkansas Senate. (vin)