Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said her ministry had set itself the target of creating an online registration and license-issuing system over the next five years.
"At present, we are already using a national single window system whereby trade licenses are processed in only a few days` time. Five years from now, we must be able to issue licenses or permits in an even shorter time, in just one day`s time, if possible," Pangestu said on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Indonesia Summit 2010 held by the Economists Conferences at the Shangrila Hotel here.
She said the government was now focusing on overcoming infrastructure problems and reforming the bureaucracy. The two tasks were the government`s present priorities that needed to be tackled soon in order to boost trade with other countries.
Indonesia with its rich natural resources had benefited from trade with other countries over the years, she said.
"The question now is how to maintain and obtain more benefit from our resources. Therefore, the government is now focusing on ways to increase the value and quality of our products," she said.
The Economist Conferences is a leading provider of highly interactive meetings including industry conferences, management events and government roundtables. Also attending the Thursday discussion session were several foreign envoys , namely Japan`s Ambassador Kojiro Shiojiri, China`s Ambassador Zhang Qiyue and US Ambassador Cameron R Hume.
Earlier, the Economist Intelligence Unit had forecast that Indonesia`s Gross Domestic Bruto would expand by 5.6 percent in 2010 and by 5.9 percent in 2011 as Indonesia . like much of the rest of Asia, was undergoing a relatively robust recovery.
While Indonesia`s relative (by export-oriented Asian standards) insulation to the global economy was cited as having cushioned it from the worst of the crisis, it would in large part be an increasing openness to global markets that would help create new opportunities.
"Yet while Indonesia is hitting its stride, there are many aspects to its development that need committed reform and restructuring if the country is to meet `stretch` goals that is, to exceed the consensus view that Indonesia should be growing at 7 percent or more per year. These include bolstering institutions and legal environments to promote and encourage investment in public infrastructure," the Economist Corporate Network director said. (*)
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