| By Andi Abdussala |
Jakarta, June 8 (ANTARA) - Indonesian businessmen are expected to take advantage of the two-day World Economic Forum-East Asia (WEF-EA) which will begin in Jakarta on Sunday. About 600 global economic policy makers will gather for two days to address and discuss global economic conditions, investment, trade, energy, food security and other global economic issues. This forum offers a great chance for Indonesian businesses where global economic players are believed to be willing to expand business networks and to seek business partners in Indonesia, a country known for its richness in natural resources and has great business potentials. "We want to take advantage of the event which is very prestigious, which will be attended by approximately 600 participants," Chief Economic Minister Hatta Raja said. He claimed that the holding of the world forum in Indonesia indicated the country had become the target of global business makers to find business partners. "They see Indonesia as a good country and place to find business partners. During the forum, the will also express their views about global conditions, investment, trade, food security, and others," he said. Therefore, local business players hope they can expand their networks and share experience with global counterparts through the annual World Economic Forum. "Leaders of global industries will gather here, as a local company intending to expand globally, we hope to take advantage of the forum to build wider networks," Shinta Widjaja, managing director of Sintesa Group, said. Shinta, who leads a family firm which is doing business in many sectors, including energy, industry and hotels, said she also hoped to get new knowledge about sustainable industries from global business players. "We will also share our experience in realizing sustainable industrial activities. Although we are still active in a local scope we actually have done something," she said. President Director of PT Bakrie Telecom Anidya Novyan Bakrie said meanwhile that the forum offered a chance for business makers in Indonesia to establish business and investment cooperation with global business players. "This is a rare moment. So, we should be able to take advantage of it. This will help us attract business cooperation and investment from other countries, because we still need funds for certain business sectors such as infrastructure," she said. Freddy Tulung, a senior official of the Communications and Informatics Ministry, said the meeting will give Indonesia very positive exposure. "The presence of global and Asia-Pacific decision makers will create opportunities for trade and investment as well as tourism activities," he said. Director General for International Trade Cooperation of the Trade Ministry Gusmardi Bustami explained that the government and businesses could utilize Indonesia's position as host of the forum to expand business network and promote the country's potentials. "We hope this would attract investment, tourists and boost economic growth," he said. He said that the forum would discuss various problems including the world economic situation at present and its projection in the future, food security, energy and multilateral trade cooperation development. According to Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, East Asia is playing its role at the global level today. Business leaders are interested in the topics to be taken to the forum and this would be beneficial to business leaders in Indonesia. Held for the first time in Indonesia, where executives of the IMF, ADB, UNCTAD, UNWTO and top leaders from a number of countries such Singapore and Malaysia will also attend, the 20th meeting of WEF-EA will discuss efforts to give response to the new globalization. "The main theme of the forum is to give a response to new globalization. There are also sub-themes which are among others aimed to discuss how to manage the global turmoil and climate change, geopolitical risks, the problem of unemployment, food security and energy, and others," Hatta Rajasa said. Indonesia will bring up the issues of food security and energy affairs. "There will be a session for the subject matter of foods and energy, so that the Agriculture Minister and the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister (ESDM) will speak in the forum," Hatta said. The food security and the energy matters is a big challenge the countries in the world should face, including in East Asia with their rapid growth. "We will make use of this meeting to seek solution against this matter," Hatta said. Indonesia's delegation will consist of officials from the coordinating ministry for economic affairs, the foreign affairs ministry, the finance ministry and the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). The country's delegates will also include representatives of Pertamina, Bank Mandiri, BNI 46, Group Lippo, Group Sintesa, Bumi Resources, Indika Energy, PT EMTEK, PT Smart, PT. Indorama, Quvat, PT Astra International Tbk, Agung Podomoro Group, and PT Gajah Tunggal. As many as 16 Indonesian high ranking government officials in addition to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, Minister Hatta Radjasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and chief of the National Investment Coordinating Board Gita Wirjawan will attend the WEF-EA meeting.***5*** |
Rabu, 08 Juni 2011
WEF TO OFFER CHANCES TO LOCAL BUSINESSES
Sabtu, 29 Januari 2011
BUSINESS BENEFIT AT DAVOS FORUM
| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, Jan 30 (ATARA) - Indonesia which is less known to world businesses compared to China and India took the opportunity to build relations and expand business networks in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, last week. "In term of investment, Davos is an extraordinary place for us to build networking because this forum is attended by more than 1,000 chief executive officers (CEO) from more than 1,000 companies," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pengestu said. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono directly led the Indonesian delegation to the WEF. He attended the world economic forum on January 27-28 which was held from January 26, 2011. "The presence of the president in the WEF when world economic players meet there will give Indonesia a chance to introduce various progresses it has made, including justice-based economic development," Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential special staff for international relations, said before the Indonesian delegation departed to the forum last week. During the forum, the Indonesian president was promoting Indonesia's economic and investment potentials. "The more information they get about Indonesia the higher their desires to cooperate and partner with us. After all they came from advanced countries which could provide a lot of benefit for us," President Yudhoyono said after concluding his visit in that country on Saturday. Many world businesses told the president that they had already investment in Indonesia and would increase it further and expand their businesses in the country. Many others who have not made their investment expressed their desires to come to Indonesia. "I positively welcome them if they will really increase benefit for us," the president said. Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the president and ministers accompanying him made use of every opportunity during the event to introduce Indonesia and its economic potentials to world's economic players. The president's delegation included Chief Economic Minister Hatta Radjasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa and Investment Board chief Gita Wirjawan. On the sidelines of the forum, Mari said she had had a meeting with delegates of Google and Collective Brand, US-based shoe retailers who expressed desires to make investment in Indonesia. These world class businesses have sought specific information about investment and various other fields such market potentials in Indonesia, a country of more than 230 million people. She said that at present Indonesia had improved its investment climate through various regulations and transparent polices. This is proven by the increase in Indonesia's rating from 54 to 44 in the Global Competitive Index issued by the WEF. The trade minister said one sector which was still considered not yet improving was the infrastructure, yet this was a sector that could be seen as an opportunity for the business world. Indonesia's infrastructure development reaches Rp280 trillion annually. It is expected to reach Rp1,400 trillion in the 2010 - 2014 period. The government is only able to finance about 30 percent of the infrastructure business potentials. For this purpose, Indonesia needs to continue promoting its investment potentials abroad. So far, Indonesia is still less known to business world compared with China and India. "I met with international business community this morning. They said that Indonesia was not yet popularly known like India and China. The international business community said they had not yet been well-informed of Indonesia," President Yudhoyono told a press conference at Radisson Hotel, Zurich, Switzerland, and Saturday evening. Now, the president said, the world business players have known that Indonesia's economic growth is in the second rank in Asia after that of China and India, with increasingly bigger and strong economic capacity. The president said that his presence in the WEF also carried a moral mission as the chair of ASEAN to explain to the world that Indonesia and the Southeast Asian region contributed to the economic development in Asia. "As the ASEAN chair this year I have the moral responsibility to inform the world that Indonesia and ASEAN are in a region whose economy is thriving and deserves to partner with them," the president said. Two-thirds of the world's economic growth was fueled by the economies of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries. East Asia's gross domestic product (GDP) is equal to Europe's and the United States' 14.6 trillion US dollars. According to Minister Mari E Pangestu, after attending the WEF's 41st meeting, Indonesia will host the WEF on East Asia on June 12-13, 2011. "We will take advantage of it because we will also host ASEAN Summit in October this year to put Indonesia in the role of leadership in ASEAN and East Asia region," Mari said. She said that Indonesia will host the WEF East Asia so that they would come to Indonesia to see themselves the potentials of Indonesia. President Yudhoyono said the WEF East Asia in Jakarta will bring many benefits to Indonesia where it will expand Indonesia network with world businesses and offer a chance to increase investment. "Thus, Indonesia will play a role in building global cooperation networks. This is what exists in my mind. I hope this could be developed further for the interest of the nation," the president said. (T.A014/A/f001) 30-01-2011 12:01:2 |
Selasa, 25 Januari 2011
RI TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC COOPERATION THROUGH WEF
| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, Jan 23 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is expected to promote its economic achievements at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this month, where top business executives, international political leaders and selected intellectuals are to discuss and shape agendas of global and regional industries. Indonesia whose economy was relatively strong in the face of global financial crisis in the past several years will send to the forum a delegation to be directly led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "The presence of the president in the WEF when world economic players meet there will give Indonesia a chance to introduce various progresses it has made, including justice-based economic development," Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential special staff for international relations, said over the weekend. The president who will be accompanied Mrs Ani Yudhoyono and several ministers such as Chief Economic Minister Hatta Radjasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa and Investment Board chief Gita Wirjawan will speak at a number of forums during the 41st WEF meeting which will take place on January 26-31, 2011. During the forum, Indonesia hopes that it would be able to conclude cooperation with other countries. "Indonesia will use this year's WEF to increase cooperation between Indonesia and other countries. We will also make use of the meeting to attract more investors to Indonesia," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said. She said President Yudhoyono in January 27 or second day of WEF event in Davos-Klosters was scheduled to deliver a speech about trade and development. "President Yudhoyono is one among five speakers scheduled to deliver speech during the meeting," she said. The 41st World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland will take the theme of Shared Norms for the Reality. Over the five-day Meeting, over 2,500 leaders from over 100 countries will convene in Davos-Klosters, representing business, government, civil society, academies and culture. The theme of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting has four interconnected pillars namely responding to the new reality, the economic outlook and defining policies for inclusive growth, supporting the G20 agenda and building a risk response network. Yudhoyono who will attend the WEF for the first time will deliver a special speech at the Energy Summit With the World's Top Energy CEOs. He will also open "Indonesia Co Night: Celebrating the Spirit of Collaboration and Cooperation, organized in cooperation between the Indonesian government and the WEF. The president is also expected to become a speaker in the WEF's International Business Council (IBC) and International Media Council (IMC) forums in two plenary sessions. He will speak about redefinition of sustainable development and trade. A major focus of this year's meeting will be how to deal with global risks, develop risk mitigation strategies and capture related opportunities. The World Economic Forum will present its Risk Response Network at the Annual Meeting, which will serve as a preparatory, analytical and highly practical framework for the global community in the service of improving global risk management. The Risk Response Network is a platform designed to better understand, manage and respond to complex, interdependent risk. According to Teuku Faizasyah, President Yudhoyono during the events is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the forum on January 27-29. He said that the president would also met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Envoy for the Middle East Tony Blair and a number of other heads of state/heads of government. Minister Mari E Pangestu, after attending the WEF's 41st meeting, Indonesia will host the WEF on East Asia on June 13-13, 2011. "We will take advantage of it because we will also host ASEAN Summit in October this year to put Indonesia in the role of leadership in ASEAN and East Asia region," Mari said. She said it would be the first for Indonesia to host WEF after its neighbor countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan have ever been trusted to be the organizing committees. "It will be the first time for us to host the World Economic Forum, and we hope Indonesia will take a leadership role and become the central power in Southeast Asia and East Asian region," Mari said. After all, Indonesia will chair the ASEAN summit this year. "Since the central world trade is in Asia, Indonesia is expected to be able to make use the chance as the chairman of ASEAN Summit 2011 as well as it is the biggest country among ASEAN member countries," she said. The minister said two-thirds of the world's economic growth was fueled by the economies of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries. "Two-thirds of the world's economic growth is being supported by the economies of ASEAN member countries and this only shows the importance of ASEAN and East Asia in the global context," the minister said. Mari said East Asia's gross domestic product (GDP) was equal to Europe's and the United States' 14.6 trillion US dollars. Thus, global issues related to commodity prices volatility, food resilience, and energy resilience would be among the topics of discussion at the WEF forum in June. "The topics of discussion will be the same as that during WEF in Davos, and it will be a challenge for the government, business world, and private party to step up the industry, investment, and technology -- especially agriculture and climate change technology to face with extreme climate change," Mari said. |