VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia will soon negotiate with the US, which plans to raise the generalized system of preference (GSP) facility for Indonesia.

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita will lead an Indonesian delegation during a working visit to the US from July 21 to 28, Director General of National Export Development at the Trade Ministry Arlinda said in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 18.

"We will leave for the US along with the trade minister. Through the negotiations, we will assure (the US) that we still need GSP. We hope (the US) will not raise it," she added.

US President Donald Trump is assessing the GSP policy, which is believed to have caused a deficit in the US trade with its trade partners.

The program, which was introduced in 1976, was stopped in 2013 and was revived in June 2015.

In 2012, Indonesia was among the five countries enjoying the GSP facility. The others are India, Thailand, Brazil, and South Africa. But since April 2018, the US government has reconsidered to grant the facility to Indonesia and India.

The Trump government is set to evaluate 124 types of Indonesian products, including textiles, plywood, and fishery products, including shrimp and crab.

"They have export ceiling. If exports exceed the US-set value, the US will consider the products to be competitive and no longer deserving GSP. We must be able to maintain the main markets for our products while at the same time seeking other markets (for Indonesian products)," she noted.

The Indonesian delegation`s planned visit to the US is part of the government`s step to anticipate the dynamics of international trade. Today, many countries have introduced protectionism policies by raising import duties.

Indonesia is set to meet an invitation from the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) ambassador to discuss the US review of the countries receiving GSP facility.

According to the Indonesian Trade Ministry, trade between Indonesia and the US in 2017 was valued at US$25.91 billion. Indonesia`s exports to the US reached $17.79 billion, while its imports from the US stood at $8.12 billion. As a result, Indonesia enjoyed a surplus of $9.67 billion in its trade with the US. (ANTARA)

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia was crowned as the World`s Best Cabin Crew on Tuesday by Skytrax for the fifth year in a row since 2014.

Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted conferred the World`s Best Cabin Crew award on Garuda Indonesia President Director Pahala N. Mansury during the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2018 held at the Langham Hotel, London, on Tuesday, coinciding with the Farnborough International Airshow 2018 in the United Kingdom.

"Surely, the award holds special significance for us amid various challenges facing the company in operational performance. Garuda Indonesia has successfully proven its commitment by always improving the service quality standards of the best cabin crew recognized by the world," Mansury noted in a written statement released on Wednesday.

He said the award is a matter of pride, as Garuda Indonesia is the only airline company in the world that has managed to bag "The World`s Best Cabin Crew" award for the fifth year in a row.

The award is also concrete evidence of the sustainable commitment and hard work of Garuda Indonesia employees, particularly the cabin crew, who have demonstrated the airline company`s best services dubbed Experience to all service users, he noted.

"The award is also a challenge for us all at Garuda Indonesia in future to provide Indonesia`s best hospitable services to the world," he stated.

Garuda Indonesia was crowned as the World`s Best Cabin Crew 2018 based on the results of a customer satisfaction survey conducted by Skytrax on more than 245 international airline companies by involving over 18 million passengers worldwide.

The survey is conducted annually by measuring 41 main parameters related to the products and services of airline companies.

Skytrax CEO Plaisted said the World`s Best Cabin Crew award is one of the most prestigious acknowledgements in the aviation industry.

"Garuda Indonesia`s success in maintaining this predicate for the fifth year in a row is something extraordinary. Garuda Indonesia has proven its consistency in providing perfect services to all passengers," he emphasized.

In addition to winning the World`s Best Cabin Crew award, Garuda Indonesia has managed to maintain its achievement as ranking among the Top 10 World`s Best Airlines.

Earlier, on July 11, 2018, Garuda Indonesia and its subsidiary, Citilink Indonesia, had also won "TripAdvisor 2018 Travelers Choice Awards" from TripAdvisor, the world`s leading travel site. (ANTARA)

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi will hold a bilateral meeting with Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon, July 19, 2018. Through a press conference held in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, Spokesperson Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Arrmanatha Nasir explained, one of the issues to be raised at the bilateral meeting of the two Foreign Ministers is the border issue. In addition, the two Foreign Ministers will also discuss the results of the joint border committee meeting between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

"Some issues that will become the focus of attention of the two ministers tomorrow, first is related to border management We have a long border with PNG where there are also great economic potentials as well as border issues, cross border issues there. Of course the two ministers will also discuss the results of a joint border committee meeting that was held in April.," said Armanatha Nasir.

In addition to border issues, according to Arrmanatha Nasir efforts to increase economic and trade cooperation will also be the attention of the two Foreign Ministers in the bilateral meeting. One aspect that will be enhanced through economic and trade cooperation is the interaction between business actors in both countries. The trade value between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea alone in 2017 was recorded to reach 208.89 million US dollars, an increase compared to the year 2016 which recorded only 179, 2 million US dollars. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)

India is currently trying to explore sugar trading cooperation with Indonesia. India as the second largest sugar producer in the world is trying to export its sugar surplus to Indonesia. Not only that, India plans to help Indonesia to revitalize the sugar factory in Indonesia, which is largely a relic of the Dutch Colonial government. However, to realize such cooperation, Indonesia was asked to reconsider the amount of import duty which is still too high so that makes Indian sugar products are not competitive in the Indonesian market. This was conveyed by the Director General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia (RI), Oke Nurwan, after attending the India Indonesia Forum on Sugar Trade in Jakarta, Tuesday 17 July.

"There are different treatments by Indonesia where their sugar does not become competitive due to the 10 percent import tariffs. While the other, from Australia and Thailand, is the same, which is still five percent. So they just asked again, to see this again. Then they can also, in government to government scheme, invite, build, they know our problem One of them is our aging sugar factories, and so on. They have the technology for it, said Nurwan.

Oke Nurwan further said, the Ministry of Trade will consider the desire of India to export sugar production to Indonesia. He also stated that Indonesia is principally open and does not limit itself to trade cooperation with various countries. However, he still asks India as an exporting country to customize its products with pre-determined specifications and conditions. India is the second largest sugar producer in the world after Brazil. Recently, the Indian Sugar Factory Association said sugar production in India this year is projected to increase by 10 percent with total production reaching 35 million tons. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)