RI ready to host APEC summit: Govt

The Jakarta Post | Headlines | Fri, October 05 2012, 9:42 AM

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The government says that infrastructure development in Bali for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is on schedule and that the nation will be fully prepared to host the event in
November 2013.

“Airport development is on track and the sea bridge, toll roads and underpass will be ready before October 2013,” Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa told reporters at a press conference after a meeting in his office here on Thursday.

Also at the meeting were Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and State-Owned Enterprise Minister Dahlan Iskan.

Hatta said that Indonesia would also host several ministerial-level meetings for APEC member nations starting in January in several major cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta; Surabaya, East Java; and Medan, North Sumatra.

Hatta said the venue for the APEC summit would be in Nusa Dua and not in the Bali International Park (BIP) area, as previously announced.

The central government changed its plans following protests from local residents and the Badung Legislative Council that said that the BIP was a green area and should not be exploited for developing
infrastructure.

APEC, established in 1989, is an international forum comprising 21 states in the Asia-Pacific region with the aim to promote free trade and cooperation between member nations.

The population of APEC’s member states accounts for around 40 percent of the world’s population. The forum’s members also comprise 54 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and account for 44 percent of global trade.

During APEC’s most recent meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, in September, ministers forged a consensus to include 54 environmental products on a list of products to be subject to tariff caps by 2015. The list covers more than 300 items, including chopsticks, bicycles, turbines, generators and bamboo products.

Indonesia, the world’s largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer, proposed inclusion of the commodity on the list of environmental goods subject to the tariff caps, although it was not included in the final pact.

Hatta said that Indonesia would again propose inclusion of CPO on the list at APEC’s summit in Bali, although it would not be the main item on the nation’s agenda.

“Our main focus will be on trade and investment, where we believe that there is an urgency to address standardization and structural reform issues,” Hatta said.

“We are also going to talk about achieving sustainability in growth. On this issue, the main theme will be on how to develop global competitiveness, especially through developing small- and medium-scale enterprises and financial inclusion programs,” he added.

Another item on the agenda for next year, according to Hatta, was a discussion on promoting connectivity among APEC members nations, including maritime connectivity, needed infrastructure and the associated price tag.

Mari said that the government expected that the summit would help the nation achieve its tourism target for 2013.

“Our target for foreign tourist visits next year will be around 9 million. We believe that the APEC summit will be one of the main contributors to this goal,” Mari said.

“We will also hold several side and related events including the Miss World pageant. These are excellent moments for promoting our tourism,” Mari said.

— JP/Hans David Tampubolon