Swedish trade mission in Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Swedish business mission is in town for a five-day visit in a bid to explore new business opportunities in Indonesia, according to a press statement issued on Monday by the Embassy of Sweden here.

The business delegation, led by the chairman of the International Council of Swedish Industry Jan Walldorf, was scheduled to arrive on Monday, the press release said.

The delegation includes representatives from some of the larger Swedish multinational companies such as LM Ericsson, Volvo, Electrolux, Tetra Pak, and Elof Hansson.

"The overall objective (of the mission) is to explore new business opportunities in Indonesia in a number of different sectors of the economy," the statement said.

The new government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to fix the country's investment climate in a bid to attract new investment, crucial to accelerate economic growth to more than 6.5 percent rate, and help resolve the chronic unemployment problem in this country.

During the past couple of years, foreign investors have avoided investing in the country, as reflected in the declining number of foreign direct investment approvals.

The statement said that the business delegation would meet, among others, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie, Minister of Industry Andung Nitimihardja, and Minister of Communications Hata Radjasa.

The delegation would also meet with key organizations such as the Indonesian Chamber of Trade and Industry (Kadin), the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), local offices of the World Bank and the International Labor Organization.

A seminar with the theme "New Business Opportunities in Indonesia" will be jointly organized by Kadin, Apindo, and Swedish companies operating in the country.