Australian opportunities abound in Indonesia’s commercial healthcare sector

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams has encouraged the commercial healthcare sector to look for Indonesian opportunities.

Relations between the two nations are widely seen to be at their best for many years following the recent visit to Jakarta and Makassar by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Ambassador Williams said IA-CEPA was playing a crucial role.

“During their annual leaders’ meeting, Prime Minister Albanese and President Widodo committed to expanding their trade and investment ties through the IA-CEPA and also to raising the profile of Katalis.

“Building on IA-CEPA last year, we launched the Blueprint for Trade and investment with Indonesia which was also highlighted during the Prime Minister’s recent visit.

“The Blueprint highlights where Indonesia’s priorities, needs and emerging issues align with capabilities and comparative advantage of Australian businesses and encourages Australian businesses to ‘walk through that door’ opened by IA-CEPA.”

Ambassador Williams said a rising middle class, demographic shifts and digitalisation were rapidly changing Indonesian business and “helping to create one of the world’s fastest growing consumer markets”.

Research and relationships

Delivering a keynote speech was Aspen Medical executive general manager Matt Hughes, who talked of Aspen’s growth plans for Indonesia.

He urged those considering investing in Indonesia to “do your research” and that local assistance and forming relationships was crucial.

“There are huge opportunities in Indonesia but your offerings must be driven by purpose.

“Indonesia is growing quickly and it is a country excited by that growth, therefore it is best to know what you can do to help rather than simply capitalise on that growth,” he said.

“Be humble and be willing to learn.”

Gelflex Laboratories makes contact lenses and has been selling into Indonesia since 2007; it now has a manufacturing facility on the island of Batam near Singapore.

Gelflex partner David Masel said official government bodies were quite understanding when a business had made unintentional errors.

“But it is important to get it right and have a watertight operation,” he said.

“The most important person in your organisation is your HR manager.

“Finding a good HR manager to navigate your way through the employment and employee issues is really very important.”

The seminar was one of a series of events organised by the Australia Indonesia Business Council entitled Indonesia: It’s time to take a fresh look.