S. Africa mission in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): A trade mission from South Africa's Northern Province visited Indonesia on Monday to promote the province's potential business sectors.

Renier Bester, one of the South African delegates, said that the province offered many attractive investment opportunities in sectors such as textiles, agro-processing and pharmaceuticals.

"We support investors by providing good infrastructure and many incentives," he said during a one day promotional seminar.

Incentives include tax-free status for the first two years after a company's establishment, no duties when exporting to neighbor countries, low taxes for labor-intensive companies and low interest rates for agroindustry investment, he said.

The business mission included 12 businessmen representing the tourism, agriculture and mining industries.

Indonesia exports a range of products to South Africa, primarily woven fabrics, textiles, shoes and wood products. Meanwhile, imports from South Africa include pulp and waste paper, aluminum, cotton, and waste and scrap iron or steel.

Last year, Indonesia's exports to South Africa reached about US$177 million, while imports stood at US$162 million.(05)