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.