The Government of RI was
urged to watch on the era of single community in the ASEAN Community/AEC to be
effective by 2015. For that matter, the Government must set up a masterplan to
face the free trade era so Indonesia could be truly competitive. Chairman of
the Indonesian businesspeople Asociation [APINDO] Sofjan Wnandi stated in
Jakarta on Monday [2/10] unless Indonesia prepared hard since now, this country
would not have the strength to compete in ASEAN Free Market 2015.
Sofjan also asked the Government to be realistic about the
present condition of business in Indonesia, where investors’ trust was fading,
prices of nearly all manufacturing products increasing, bank interest not
performing well, and sloe economic growth. This was not to mention the present
uncondusive global economy to national growth. “Let’s stop making promises, the
execution of economy package policy would not show result unless seriously
exercised” Sofjan was quoted as saying.
According to Sofjan, there were only a few sectors which
were ready to meet the competitive era which was only 2 years a head. Sofyan
saw that the potential sectors were the labor-intensive sector and vast natural
resources. But even natural resources would run out soon or late. The logistic
sector was way behind. Therefore he said, Indonesia still had to work hard to
prepare. Upon embarking on the Asean Free Market, Sofjan believed it was
necessary for the Government to scheme up a sound strategy and masterplan which
would be applicable for the next three or four years to face the Asean Free
Trade market in order to be truly competitive.
Sofjan was even pessimistic Indonesia would be ready to
join the Asean Economic Community 2015. According to Sofjan, many things had to
be reformed in Indonesia like bureaucracy, the contradicting central Government
vs local Government law, national productivity, human resources, and infra
structure. Sofjan also reminded that very frequently the Law made thing
difficult for businesspeople so investors choosed to go to another country to
invest.
Sofjan believed investors would seek for safe havens
where things were secure and there was legal certainty. The Law in Indonesia
was frequently overlapping due to regional autonomy which made it hard to
reduce burreucracy expenses. He showed as an example when a company wished to
buy machineries for textile factory they had to employ up to 1,000 workers.
Sofjan also expected the Government would control imported goods and to develop
human resources, train more competent engineers and technicians.
According to Sofjan, not just industry but the banking
sector must also prepare themselves. Although the banking industry would not
enter before 2020, banks must take measures to push up other industries.
According to Sofjan, BI must firmly make policies to make national banks ready
to join AEC 2015. Such was readiness of banking industry to face the free
market era.
Sofjan
further remarked that to bolster up competitiveness in facing the AEC, it was
necessary for the banking sector to take strategic steps in the development
process of national banking. Only a few Indonesian banks opened branches in
another Asean states even if they were any, they open branches only in Malaysia
and Singapore. Furthermore Sofjan remarked that the aim of AEC was to make Asean
a single market and a single production base, which would allow free flow of
goods, services, production, investment and capital and elimination of tariff
for inter-Asean trading.
Business News - October 25, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment