The President Post 14th

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Display until August 12, 2010 /// N0. 14

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Mari Pangestu: The Champion of Free Trade

Jakarta-born Mari obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Australian National University, and her Doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis, US, in 1986.

By Lukman Hakim

Indeed, Mari (54) has all what it takes to be where she is now: the first female ChineseIndonesian to hold a cabinet position in Indonesia, impeccable academic credentials and, perhaps more importantly, no linkage to the business world. JAKARTA (TPP) – When Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was last year re-elected for a second term as president, at the top of the list of ministers he wanted to retained in his new cabinet was Mari Elka Pangestu—not surprisingly. Says Sofjan Wanandi, one of Indonesia’s premiere businessmen: “Mari Pangestu is the best and the most qualified person to lead the ministry of trade. “ “She is the leader of G-77 representing Asia, Africa and Latin America in negotiations with the WTO. Mari is also credited for making Indonesia better known overseas.” He added: “She has played and is expected to play an even greater role in making inroads to bolster trade with Japan, China, Asean and dan Australia. “ Indeed, Mari (54) has all what it takes to be where she is now: the first female Chinese-Indonesian to hold a cabinet position in Indonesia, impeccable academic credentials and, perhaps more importantly, no linkage to the business world. Jakarta-born Mari obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Australian National University, and her Doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis, US, in 1986. Prior to becoming Minister of Trade, she had been active in var-

ious trade forums such as PECC. As an economist, she is widely published in national and international media. She serves on the Board of External Editors of the Asian Journal of Business (University of Michigan) and the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (Australian National University). She is also the co-coordinator of the Task Force on Poverty and Development for the United Nations Millennium Project. Things are looking up or her and the nation’s economy as, for example, exports rose 43% in April after surging 47% in March, official data show. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia predicts economic growth will accelerate to 6% this year from 4.6% in 2009. The government estimates gross domestic product (GDP) will expand 6%-6.5% in 2011. Indonesia’s economy grew at the fastest pace in more than a year last quarter as record-low interest rates boosted consumer spending and exports and investment recovered. GDP in Southeast Asia’s largest economy increased 5.7% in the three months to March 31 from a year earlier. “We are optimistic that the country can achieve or exceed export growth of 7%-8.5% this year, even as Europe’s debt crisis threatens demand for the region’s

Photo: The President Post/Nandi Nanti

“Eastern Indonesia such as Papua could be an energy and food development hub, Java for manufacturing, and Sumatra for oil-chemical and minerals.” Hatta Rajasa Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs

Rajasa declined to name the five special economic zones, only saying that they will be across the country, including eastern Indonesia.

On the country’s emerging creative industries It needs support from banking and non-banking institutions to flourish. The contribution of creative industries to Indonesia`s non-oil/gas exports reached Rp1149 trillion.” On the government’s “I Love Indonesia” campaign It is not a form of protectionism but a means to promote domestic consumption. On intellectual property rights (IPR) Indonesia remains committed to eradicating violations of IPR to pro-

tect the interests of investors engaged in the country’s creative industry. On US investment in Indonesia There’s still a lack of awareness in the US, a misperception that we have to address. We have to keep up the momentum to expand cooperation. On Morgan Stanley’s statement that Indonesia should be added to the list of BRIC nations If we can maintain our current growth rate and continue the policies that we are taking, we hope that we can grow 4.5% this year and be able to recover more next year to grow at around 5-6%. We are making sure that domestic

goods,” Mari said recently. “The increase in exports in the first four months of 2010 suggests the government’s target for the year can be met,” Mari added. “Our exports, which are 26% of the GDP, are not so exposed

“For sure they include areas in East Indonesia such as Papua,” he said. He explained that the country`s regional economic development is divided into economic corridors, within which are special economic zones (KEK), and within a KEK are a number of clusters. “So if we say Papua`s KEK, it includes clusters such as West Papua, Merauke and Biak. We will encourage them to become fast growing areas,” he said. He said 48 regions had previously applied to become special economic zones but they had all been turned down.

The five KEKs would boost productions based on, among other things, marine, oilpalm, agriculture, mineral, coal, petrochemical. “Eastern Indonesia such as Papua could be an energy and food development hub, Java for manufacturing, and Sumatra for oil-chemical and minerals,” the minister said.

The current five special economic zones do not include Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

The SEZ is a government-designated area in which companies enjoy various duty-free imports of raw materials and no taxation. Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands provide a one-stop investment program offering an integrated service for business permits, immigration issues and tax payments.

VIEWPOINT

THE ECONOMY

BUSINESS

AUTOMOTIVE

Indonesia, the region and the world

President Says No to Nuke Energy, New Budgeting System

Garuda Indonesia to Install IT Facilities in Aircraft in 2011

Automobile Industry Running in High Gear Despite Traffic Jams

Indonesia’s stategic vision is defined by its geo-political and geo-economic location in Asia and the Pacific, which determines its perennial imperative to keeping track of security trends in regional clusters. PAGE A2

Developing nuclear energy needs thorough considerations and proper locations.

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first four months of 2010, Deputy Trade Minister Mahendra Siregar said last month.

As Mari sees it...

Hatta: By 2014, RI to Have Five Fully-Developed Economic Zones JAKARTA (TPP) – The government expects Indonesia to have at least five fully-developed special economic zones (KEK) by 2014, a minister said. “Our priority is to have, by 2014, at least five (developed) special economic zones,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said last month. The government is currently evaluating five special economic zones and has set their development strategies, main design, development framework.

IDR 20,000

The technology will allow passengers to communicate using the short text message service (SMS) and operate laptops on board aircraft.

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According to Gaikindo’s projections, car production in Indonesia will continue to soar through 2015

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consumers can maintain their purchasing power, including the lower income groups. On the US Senate’s decision to restrict tobacco products, including clove cigarettes We have voiced our objections. This has been quite a lengthy process, and it has, unfortunately, passed at the Senate level. We feel this is discriminating against cloves because menthol is not considered flavor. Cloves, only account for a small percentage of flavored cigarettes but are being discriminated, this is a matter of principle.

to the European market. But as about 12% of it go to Europe, less than the corresponding figure for China, you can have secondary effects. If China’s exports slow down, then so do their imports.” China buys about 10% of Indonesia’s exports and is the Southeast Asian nation’s third-largest overseas market. Indonesia’s non-oil and non-gas exports to China surged 76.7% from a year earlier to US$4 billion in the

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his economics ministers met Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Toronto last month, and discussed a plan to improve strategic economic and trade partnerships, alongside deepening defense cooperation and international affairs under the framework of the UN and the G-20 economies. The president said: “The two countries have a good relationship. China is an important partner and a good friend of Indonesia.” Xinhua news agency reported Hu said China attached much importance to boosting its strategic partnership with Indonesia. He specifically supported Chinese companies taking part in major infrastructure development projects in Indonesia. Indonesia’s US$514 billion economy needs over $200 billion in investment each year, the bulk of it to overhaul its ailing infrastructure. The government hopes 70% of infrastructure development in the next five years will be financed and carried out by the

private sector. Indonesian business leaders and government officials have hailed a commitment by China to invest more in Indonesia’s infrastructure, although some observers expressed concern that China might use the investment as an opportunity to increase its influence here to the detriment of local companies. The head of the land acquisition bureau at the Ministry of Public Works, Wijaya Seta, said Chinese companies were more productive and efficient than their Indonesian counterparts, which should enable infrastructure to be developed cheaply. “I think from this alone we can gain, seeing more infrastructure built with less money,” Wijaya said. “After the infrastructure has been completed, it will create multiplier effects,” he said. According to Mari, Chinese investment in Indonesia totaled US$265.5 million over the past four years, while two-way trade between China and Indonesia amounted to US$25.5 billion in 2009,up from US$12.5 billion in 2005. “Investment and trade between the two countriesw are expected to grow to US$50 billion by the end of 2014,” she said.


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