Transportation ties with RI to be boosted: Poole

Transportation ties with RI to be boosted: Poole

DARWIN (Antara): Minister for Transportation, Trade and
Industry of Australia's Northern Territory, Eric Poole, has
called for the strengthening of transportation ties between
Australia and Indonesia.

Addressing a meeting here Tuesday, Poole said there should be
efforts to reduce management costs which transportation operators
and exporters face.

"This can be done by lowering airport and harbor service
costs, eliminating various constraints and delays in customs
services," he said.

"We see that such a process has been successfully applied in
the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines - East ASEAN Growth
Area (BIMP EAGA), that prompted us to work hard to make the
existing cooperation between the Northern Territory and Eastern
Indonesia a success," he said.

He added that business should be realistic in its approach to
new services.

He thus called for the changing of regulations that hamper
transportation relations between the Northern Territory and
Eastern Indonesia.

Poole also said he appreciates efforts launched by a contact
group to make practical arrangements to boost transportation
relations in the region.

He expressed hope that the Indonesian government would
introduce an open-sky policy in Indonesia's eastern region to
lure Australian investors in air transport.

"If foreign operators are allowed to fly in Indonesia's
eastern region, there will be free competition. This would
result in lower transportation costs and thus benefit Indonesia,"
he said.