Cebuano businessmen urged to strengthen trade with Indonesia

[iKlien]

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CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) — Cebuano businessmen were encouraged to help strengthen trade relations between the Philippines and Indonesia.
“Indonesia and Philippines trade relation is growing stronger ever since the opening of the diplomatic relations 62 years ago. It is high time to look at various possibilities and increase trade and investment opportunities for both countries,” said Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Kristiarto Legowo.

He spoke during the recent seminar, “Strengthening Economic Cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines,” hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

Indonesia’s economy grew by 6.1 percent last year, driven by strong domestic consumption and investment.

Legowo said their visit to the Philippines is a follow-up of President Benigno S. Aquino lll’s visit to Indonesia lat March 8.

Aquino’s meeting with Indonesian government representatives focused on the improvement of trade and investments of both countries.

Legowo said they chose Cebu as the first area to visit as it is one of the key centers of development in the country. He described Cebu as a beautiful city that has a lot to offer Indonesians.

Legowo said the trade exchange of both countries already amounted to USD2.27 billion from January to November last year. In the same period in 2009, trade was recorded at USD1.81 billion.

But Legowo stressed that both countries should not be complacent, as the figures do not reflect the potential of what both countries could achieve with a strengthened economic cooperation.

Legowo said there is a trade imbalance since Philippine exports to Indonesia last year amounted only to USD383 million while its imports amounted to USD1 billion.

He said they are encouraging businessmen to see the potential of trade investments to both countries instead of trading goods and services with more remote regions.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Samuel Chioson said both countries have not seen each other’s trade potentials because of the similarities of the products. He said that in order to enhance trade investments, both countries should enhance *****eral trade agreements.


Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation
-April 14, 2011

[Eve's Apple Project]

nice ta ni nga news..lisod lang kang indonesia kay parehas ra sa ato..daghan corakot dito.. what i hope to happen is we start consuming our own products first & we develop more laws for the protection of the LEGAL businessmen...kusog na kaayo ato smugglingron, which is killing our local businesses.

Let's just wait & see unsay mahitabo sunod..

[tokti]

nindot ni nga balita dah.. a good thing for us Cebuanos.. if mahitabo man gani ni daghan na job opportunities para sa tanan..

[Hammer_and_Sickle]

maayu2x, unsa d-ay mga company or mga business na Indonesian ang tag-iya diri sa cebu?

[leonell]

I'll point out some similarities between PHL and Indonesia.

We are both the largest countries in Southeast Asia with a population of 94 million and 219 million respectively.

We are also both the only representative democracy in the region or the only "presidential republics" in the ASEAN region.

Also, we are two of the largest archipelagos in the Asian continent.

There is a lot of room for development for the two if only more cooperation and business exchanges would be done. And I think we Cebuanos should lead the way.

[peewee_toot]

i hope dili managhan ang mga pirated ani...

[Lord_Einaj]

Aquino’s meeting with Indonesian government representatives focused on the improvement of trade and investments of both countries. =)