The Indonesia Australia Business Council (IABC) is the peak body for two-way business that is based in Indonesia.
Trade
Economists state that economic relations between countries are a function of size & distance. Those with large economies gravitate toward each other, as do those in close proximity.
Australian policymakers need to include the island states of the western Indian Ocean in our Indo-Pacific strategy, even if only in a fuzzy way.
Much more than only trade and investment, the Indonesian President has grander ambitions for the two neighbours.
You’ll no longer need to apply for a visa and fly south to study at some top Australian universities thanks to the ratification of a new trade deal.
Nowhere in the world are there three neighbours more different than the extraordinary triangle of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Prioritising connectivity and reframing their economic ties as regional rather than bilateral could help foster a closer business relationship.
Through our work for the AIC, we helped to link hundreds of researchers, government departments, business partners and others in collaborative partnerships.
In 2018, less than 1 percent of Australia’s foreign investment went to Indonesia. Two-way trade with Indonesia has stagnated at around 2 percent for the entire decade.
[IA-CEPA is] good news for farmers everywhere – Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest country by population and is expected to be a trillion-dollar economy by 2050.
Indonesian tourists pay a $140 visa application fee and complete a 17 page questionnaire… In comparison, Australians visiting Indonesia can receive free 30 day visa on arrival.
Indonesia President Joko Widodo’s declaration on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday that “Australia is Indonesia’s closest friend” has given us pause for thought.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted the importance of developing what she called “strategic trust” in Australia-Indonesia relations, ahead Jokowi’s visit to Canberra.
It was revealing that both Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indonesian President Joko Widodo cited the same quote from former PM Robert Menzies during Jokowi’s address to the Australian Parliament.
President Joko Widodo has expressed his hopes that the ratification of the IA-CEPA will also have a positive impact on the peoples of both countries in addition to strengthening bilateral ties.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has taken a strategic step to formally expand economic ties with Australia, our closest major neighbor.
