VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and the launching of Road to Africa book on the sidelines of Indonesia Africa Forum on Tuesday in Nusa Dua Bali. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said she welcomed the launch of the book to provide a map of direction in identifying the potential for developing trade cooperation between Indonesia and countries of the African continent.

The Finance Minister said Indonesia needed new efforts to improve competitiveness and productivity to spur higher and more equitable economic growth.

She hopes that the launch of the Road to Africa book will become an early stub which will be further refined, so that the people of Indonesia and all parties can find the best potential to enhance trade relations with Africa.

"This is a great initiative. As we know that to be able to increase Indonesia’s economic growth to be more equitable and inclusive, it is our role to encourage investment and exports. We may need to put more emphasis on competitiveness and productivity and start to enter new markets and commodities. The book Road to Africa can provide a map that can be used by all parties, especially private sector. And by LPEI to identify potentials of commodities as well as targeted markets," Minister Retno said.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati further said she hoped that Road to Africa book could be developed by involving many parties including academic community. She said the development was done to not only identify export potential but also market development efforts.

She also hopes that the Indonesian Export Financing Institution (LPEI) can use its instruments to support export interest and potential, so that Indonesian companies increasingly get the convenience to reach the market in Africa. (VOI/Andy/AHM)

Indonesia has huge maritime economic potential worth around 1.3 trillion US Dollars which 91% of it has not been managed maximally. Assistant Deputy of Law and Maritime Agreement, Deputy of Maritime Sovereignty Coordination, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime, Budi Purwanto, said this potential provides huge opportunities for young generation to run their business in maritime sector. Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs in cooperation with Awsome Consulting held for the first time, Young Entrepreneurs Maritime Symposium on Tuesday, April 10 in Jakarta. According to Budi Purwanto, the symposium will increase the knowledge of young generation on maritime sector, and it is in line with the vision of the government to realize Indonesia as a maritime axis of the world. He said through this symposium, the younger generation will get information on maritime-related policies.

“So this is a very important meeting that really needs to be developed as a forum for the younger generation to know the maritime sector. There is something we want to know that our mission can return to the maritime world. The government provides a positive forum to give young people a chance to get closer,” Budi Purwanto said.

Budi further explained the participants of the symposium consisted of young generations from various region in Indonesia. The speakers are from the government, defense, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations, and banking. Budi pointed out, young businesses can do business in the field of waste processing. He stressed that processing waste into something positive is what the people need at this time. (VOI/SEKAR/edited DP)

 Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi said that Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) proves Indonesia`s commitment to improve cooperation with the African countries.

"For more than a year we have been working hard to prepare this forum. It shows Indonesia`s commitment to strengthen its love and cooperation with Africa," the minister stated at the opening of the IAF at the Nusa Dua Bali Convention Center on Tuesday.

Indonesia is eager to hold cooperation with the spirit of equality, care, and collaboration, which is sustainable and mutually beneficial.

"You may be wondering why Indonesia initiated the IAF; the immediate answer is that Indonesia loves Africa. Our love for Africa is not only reflected in words but also in deeds," Marsudi noted.

She stressed that Indonesia wants to play a role and be a part of development in African countries, by studying the vision of Africa 2063 and monitoring the progress of the African Free-Trade Continent. 

The first day of IAF will consist of some panel of discussions between Indonesia and African countries on policy making and perspectives on strategic topics such as economic diplomacy, infrastructure development, financing facility initiatives, digital transformation, and strategic industries.

On the second day (April 11), an Indonesia-Africa Business Forum will be held to discuss important topics such as connectivity, digital economy, agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), South-South and Triangular Cooperation, as well as the future of Indonesia-Africa economic relations. Throughout the forum, ministers, high-level officials, CEOs, bankers, and leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Indonesia and African countries will discuss and exchange ideas.

"I am glad that a number of Indonesian state-owned companies have participated in this forum, including Pertamina, PT INKA, PT Dirgantara Indonesia, PT PAL, PT TIMAH, and many others," Marsudi remarked.

The foreign minister also welcomes the CEOs and business representatives from Africa, including Ethiopian Airlines, Topwide Ventures Limited, Africa Export-Import Bank, and Amirco Commercial Service.

IAF is an event held for the first time by the Indonesian government as a platform to encourage concrete economic cooperation between Indonesia and African countries. IAF is in line with President Joko Widodo`s encouragement for Indonesia to enter non-traditional markets, especially Africa. The Indonesian government seeks to convert the proximity of Indonesia`s political relations with African countries to the proximity of economic relations.(antara)

Indonesia is committed to enhancing cooperation in the field of infrastructure development with African countries through the establishment of a task force in the designated field.

"The Indonesian Government will establish a task force and visit several potential African countries," Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan said in a release received on Tuesday.

The task force will function as a body to identify and solve problems as well as cooperation potentials in the field of infrastructure development between Indonesia and African countries, Pandjaitan said after attending the opening ceremony of the Indonesia-Africa Forum held in Nusa Dua, Bali. Its members will consist of government officials, State-owned Enterprises, private sectors and national banks.

"We want to ease everything, such as adjusting regulations, preparing paying mechanism. Most importantly it is based on the nation`s interest, transparency is absolute," Pandjaitan said.

Pandjaitan revealed that state-owned railway company PT INKA will have some projects in Africa, as well as other state-owned enterprises such as PT WIKA in the field of construction. Strategic industries, such as Indonesian ship manufacturer PT PAL and state-owned aircraft company PT DI are also interested to expand their market to Africa, he said.

In the implementation of IAF in Bali on April 10-11, Indonesia had invited at least 53 African countries to attend. It will be a historical event, as it will be organized for the first time by the Indonesian government and will serve as a platform to forge stronger ties with African countries since the Southeast Asian country is eyeing Africa`s non-traditional market.

Director of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Daniel Tumpal Simanjuntak said that the IAF is also expected to serve as a platform for the participating countries to discuss tariff barriers. One of the efforts to be undertaken by Indonesia to reduce tariffs is to build cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States, a regional economic entity comprising 15 member countries in West Africa.

Meanwhile, Indonesia`s biggest trade partners in the Sub-Saharan Africa include Nigeria, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, and Djibouti, while the biggest partners in North Africa are Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco. Moreover, the forum is expected to serve as a platform for Indonesian and African stakeholders to discuss business deals.

Indonesia`s main exports to the African region are palm oil, processed foods and beverages, soaps, paper, garments, and motor vehicles, while its main imports from the region are crude oil, cotton, cacao kernel, pulp, chemical materials for fertilizers and industry, and tobacco.

Several issues to be highlighted during the IAF include those related to agriculture, strategic industry, strengthening economic diplomacy, digital economy, infrastructure, and connectivity. Indonesia will also promote products of its strategic industries, such as a medium-range, twin-engine CN-235 transport aircraft produced by IPTN, as one of its primary products in the African market.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla officially opened the IAF on Tuesday. Kalla revealed the total value of Indonesia`s trade with Africa in 2017 reached US$8.85 billion. This value is increased by 15.49 percent compared to the previous year.

As the second growing economy in the world, Africa has many hidden potentials. Kalla even mentioned Wakanda, a fictional African nation and home to the superhero Black Panther, as a parable of how Africa has "hidden gems". According to Kalla, Indonesia and Africa are also in the process of building massive infrastructure to boost the economy. (antara)