Indonesia-Timor Leste to Strengthen Industry Cooperation
Indonesia-Timor Leste to Strengthen Industry Cooperation
The Government of Indonesia and the Government of Timor Leste have agreed to promote bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly on industry, trade, and investment sectors. The cooperation is expected to bring great benefits for the prosperity of both countries.
The agreement was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Technical Cooperation between Indonesian Minister of Industry Saleh Husin and Timor Lestes Minister of Trade, Industry, and Environment Constâncio Da Conceição Pinto, on Wednesday (4/5), at the Ministry of Industry, Jakarta.
In industry sector, the cooperation between the two countries covers the development of human resources capacity, institutional competence, training programs in certain industrial fields, exchange of information, technical training, expert assistance, as well as promotion of industrial products and other activities which the both parties have agreed.
To develop human resources capacity, we are committed to supporting the Government of Timor Leste in the 2013-2017 technical overseas cooperation programs contract worth US$6 million among the related ministries and institutions, Minister Saleh said.
According to Saleh, to support the implementation of technical cooperation on industry, Ministry of Industry has established several working units under the coordination of Industrial Research and Development Agency that are competent in their respective fields and experienced in carrying out the activities at international level.
The working units are among others: Center for Ceramics; Center for Textile, Center for Pulp and Paper, Center for Material and Technical Products; Center for Metal and Machine; Center for Leather, Rubber and Plastics; Center for Craft and Batik; Center for Industrial Pollution Prevention Technology; Center for Industrial Plantation Products; Center for Chemical and Packaging; and Center for Agro-industries.
From 2011 to 2016, Ministry of Industry through those centers have implemented 15 human resource capacity building programs in several sectors, among others on food processing, garments (textile), welding, ceramics, coconut shell crafts, as well as internships on weaving, footwear, and food processing sectors.
In the meantime, Timor Lestes Minister of Trade, Industry, and Environment Constâncio Da Conceição Pinto expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian Government for the support to ensure Timor Leste can compete to attract investors and carry out reforms needed to speed up its ASEAN membership approval.
We have also developed national industry policy focusing on resource-based industries. It aims to increase the contribution of the manufacturing industry and bring added value, Constâncio said, adding that the Government of Timor Leste invites Indonesian businesspeople to invest on plantation, fisheries, and tourism sectors.
Meanwhile, Director General for International Industrial Security and Access Development of the Ministry of Industry Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono said that the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Timor Leste is initiated to implement the Declaration of New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) that was declared in the Senior Officials Meeting of Asian African Summit, held on 22 to 23 April 2015 in Bandung.
According to Sigit, the cooperation was in line with the Nawacita (nine programs of President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kallas administration) and the National Development Agenda embodied in the 2015-2019 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) of the Administration of Jokowi-JK that covers a program to strengthen Indonesias role in global and regional cooperation.
The program aims to increase the South-South and Triangular Development Cooperation as well as to boost Indonesias role in multilateral forum, such as WTO, South-South and Triangular Development Cooperation, and others, Sigit said, adding that the activities include the implementation of capacity building programs and other technical cooperation. (Biro Humas Kemenperin/ES) (RAS/EP/YM/Naster)
