Jakarta, Nov 22 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has been urged to
end cattle imports from Australia, worth $12 billion annually, due to
allegations that Australian intelligence agencies intercepted phone
conversations of Indonesian officials.
"It is better for the government to stop its livestock imports from
Australia as part of its protest against Australia's alleged wiretapping
of phones of the Indonesian President and other senior state
officials," Muhamad Azhari, a member of the House of Representatives
(DPR)'s Commission VI on trade affairs, said here on Friday.
Tensions
between Indonesia and Australia increased after media reports that
Australian intelligence agencies had wiretapped the private phones of
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other senior
officials.
As
part of Indonesia's response, the President has ordered a halt to joint
military exercises by both nations. President Yudhoyono has also
temporarily suspended cooperation with Australia in a number of other
fields, such as intelligence exchanges and military operations in the
area of human trafficking, until an explanation is offered about the
wiretapping.
It has also been reported that the Ministry of Trade is considering reviewing trade cooperation with Australia.
"We will process and review (the cooperation). It becomes difficult
when two neighbors cannot trust each other on issues which affect
economic cooperation," Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said Wednesday.
In the trade sector, legislator Azhari said Indonesia should stop
cattle imports from Australia, a country which exports about 60 percent
of its livestock to Indonesia, or about 600,000 head of cattle per year.
Since the trade began 20 years ago, more than 6.5 million cattle have
been shipped to Indonesia for slaughter. The Australian livestock export
industry and the Australian Government have invested more than $4
million in improving animal welfare in Indonesia over the past 10 years.
He said the Indonesian people believe that if the country imports cows
from Brazil and India, they will receive unhealthy meat and cattle
affected by hoof-and-mouth disease.
Actually, this is only a trade tactic so beef imports would come from
Australia and New Zealand, where importers have formed a type of trade
cartel, he said.
As a politician of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Azhari said the
imposition of a country-based system for importing cattle gives the
impression it is a protective measure which put Indonesia at a
disadvantage, particularly cattle breeders and importers of cattle from
other countries.
Trade Minister Gita Wiryawan, he said, should impose a trade policy on
cattle imports based upon a zone-based system so that chances for others
would open up.
"The current row on alleged eavesdropping should result in a momentum
to improve the trade system between Indonesia and Australia, which tends
to harm our interests," he said.
He noted that stern action by the trade minister would indicate whether
he had the ability to defend the country's sovereignty in the trade
sector. Until now, he said, the minister had not yet taken any concrete
actions.
The Ministry of Trade might review trade cooperation with Australia in
the wake of allegations that Australian intelligence agencies tapped the
private cell phones of Indonesian state officials.
Currently, Indonesia imposes a country-based system for cattle imports,
which limits the number of countries permitted to export cattle to
Indonesia, being only Australia and New Zealand.
On whether he will change the disease-free-zone-based system, Gita said
he supports an amendment to the Act to avoid limits on cattle imports
and encourage imports from other countries.
"Until now, we have permitted imports from only particular countries," Gita added.
In response to the minister's remarks, Azhari said now is the time for
the government to amend or revise the law on animal husbandry. The law
has the impression that only Australia and New Zealand could import
cattle.
"We need to amend the law so that the cattle import policy will become
fairer. It is now time for us to be open to the people," he said.
In
the meantime, Senior Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said that Indonesia
should not depend on Australia for beef imports, but should also be
able to import from other countries.
"Irrespective
of the wire-tapping allegations, Indonesia does not necessarily depend
on (Australia) for beef imports. We have other countries that can supply
beef to us," the minister said here on Thursday.
According to Hatta, Indonesia has not yet suspended economic
cooperation with Australia, as trade and investments continues as usual.
Yet,
Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said his ministry is ready to seek
alternative trade partners if Indonesia-Australia relations become too
strained as a result of the wiretapping allegations.
"It
is a serious issue. We need, therefore, to make our position clear so
that the Australian government acts quickly," the minister said during
his general lecture at the Sunan Ampel State Institute of Islamic
Studies (IAIN), East Java, on Tuesday.
The
minister noted that Indonesia and Australia have established relations
in various sectors, such as agriculture and animal husbandry.
"If these relations are disrupted, we will need to seek other countries
as trading partners. Moreover, we have a deficit in our trade balance
with Australia, so far," he added.
Going
forward, he noted, Indonesia must improve its trade policies. For
instance, it can focus on importing raw materials, rather than finished
goods.
"Currently, our consumer goods imports have been declining, while raw
material imports are increasing. This is a good trend, but we should
also strive to increase the number of domestically made products," the
minister pointed out.
Besides Australia clarifying its position on the allegations, the
minister also suggested that Indonesia could improve its own
intelligence system to prevent future wiretapping.
The government has decided that until it receives an explanation, a
number of bilateral cooperation policies with Australia will be
reviewed.
"I have decided to stop cooperation in a number of areas, such as on
information and intelligence exchanges between the two countries,"
President Yudhoyono said.***3***
(T.A014/INE/H-YH)
(EDITED BY INE)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 23-11-20 |
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