Indonesia proposes Joint Trade Committee to raise trade with Thailand

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand Rachmat Budiman has proposed a Join Trade Committee (JTC) to discuss efforts to increase cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and tourism with Thailand.

It was conveyed by Ambassador Rachmat at a meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Trade Jurin Laksanawisit in Bangkok on Monday (Sep. 27).

Responding to the proposal, Deputy Prime Minister Laksanawisit said that Thailand was ready to host the first JTC meeting as mandated by the 9th Join Commission Meeting (JCM) in Yogyakarta (Indonesia) in 2018.

During the meeting, the two parties also discussed the provisions and procedures in each country which were considered to have potential to slow down efforts to increase the bilateral cooperation.

“As the first and second largest economies in ASEAN, Indonesia and Thailand (respectively) should take advantage of their positions to strengthen trade, investment and tourism cooperation for the benefits of the peoples of the two countries and also the ASEAN economic community,” said the Indonesian Ambassador.

Ambassador Rahmat encouraged Thai entrepreneurs to increase trade and investment cooperation in various fields, including in the fisheries and horticulture sectors, as well as the development of tourism facilities and infrastructures, in Indonesia.

Thai entrepreneurs could take advantage of various investment facilities in Indonesia with the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and the Government Regulation no. 5 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Risk-Based Business Permitting.

The Indonesian Ambassador emphasized that the two regulations also provide flexibility for business activities through the establishment of special economic zones covering production, logistics and distribution, technology development, tourism, health, education, energy, and other economic fields.

Closing the meeting, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister invited Indonesia to participate in an online business matching trade show, Thai Groove, on November 23-26 2021 and Phuket Gem which will start from November 30 to December 3, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ambassador invited Thai business players to participate in the Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2021 Digital Edition which will be interactively held by online from October 21 to November 4, 2021 and digital catalog display for two months until December 2021.

Thai entrepreneurs could take benefit of the TEI to obtain information and access to Indonesia’s flagship products.

Reporting by Indonesia Window