[Kabar-indonesia] ST: Jakarta-S'pore 'Action Roadmap'

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also: ST: Jakarta-S'pore 'Action Roadmap'

The Business Times Singapore 
Saturday, September 2, 2006

Accord on measures to improve investment climate in
Indon SEZs

Leslie Yee

SINGAPORE and Indonesia have agreed on measures to
improve the investment climate in Batam, Bintan and
Karimun in Indonesia.

Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng
Kiang and Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for
Economic Affairs, Boediono, have endorsed an action
roadmap that sets out initiatives and milestones to be
achieved over the next 18 months.

These are to streamline processes, simplify
documentation, ease business travel, improve
industrial relations and reduce bureaucratic
bottlenecks.

The move is in line with Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono's call for the Batam, Bintan and
Karimun Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to be 'faster,
better, cheaper'.

Already, an integrated investment service centre has
been inaugurated in Batam to process all permits and
paperwork relating to investment, taxation, customs,
manpower and immigration.

Mr Lim and Dr Boediono co-chair a joint steering
committee that is supervising the implementation of a
framework agreement on economic cooperation in Batam,
Bintan and Karimun that was signed between Indonesia
and Singapore on June 25.

The action roadmap was drawn up by the joint working
group, chaired by Singapore's chairman-designate of
the Economic Development Board Lim Siong Guan and
Indonesia's Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu.

It details initiatives and milestones in nine key
areas - capability development, customs, immigration,
infrastructure development, investment, industrial
relations, manpower wages, taxation, and training and
certification.

Dr Boediono said the success of Batam, Bintan and
Karimun as Indonesia's first SEZs is important in the
country's effort to improve its investment climate.

Mr Lim said: 'For the SEZ initiative in Batam, Bintan
and Karimun to be successful in retaining and
attracting investors, actual implementation is
critical.'

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The Straits Times (Singapore) Saturday, September 2,
2006

Jakarta-S'pore 'Action Roadmap'

MINISTERS from Singapore and Indonesia have endorsed a
framework agreement that will improve the investment
climate in the Indonesian islands of Batam, Bintan and
Karimun.

Dubbed the 'Action Roadmap', the plan is the result of
a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries
in June. It provides details on improving economic
cooperation in nine key areas.

The areas are: capability development, customs,
immigration, infrastructure development, investment,
industrial relations, manpower wages, taxation, as
well as training and certification.

Targets in these areas will be achieved over the next
18 months, with the aim of streamlining processes,
simplifying documentation, easing business travel and
cutting bureaucratic bottlenecks.

This comes on the back of calls made by Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to make the Batam,
Bintan and Karimun Special Economic Zones 'faster,
better, cheaper'.

Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry,

Mr Lim Hng Kiang, said in a statement: 'For the
initiative in Batam, Bintan and Karimun to be
successful in retaining and attracting investors,
actual implementation is critical.'

He co-chairs the joint steering committee that
oversees the implementation with Indonesia's
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr
Boediono.

AZRIN ASMANI

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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