TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Dutch government has offered to support the Indonesian government in training, job creation for Indonesian people and assistance with the Indonesia Recovery Fund (IRF). Minister of Industry and Trade Rini M.S. Suwandi announced this following a meeting with a Dutch delegation led by their Minister of Industry and Trade Berrit Ybema, in Jakarta this afternoon (28/1). The Dutch delegation consists of 49 people - 11 from the Dutch government and the remainder entrepreneurs from many fields. “We’re still going over several possibilities, so we are yet to sign anything. We will develop and support the IRF, export loans, development of middle enterprises, training programs and so on,” Rini said. She added that several Dutch enterprises have recently started up businesses in Indonesia with local partners. Indeed, Indonesia’s export value to the Netherlands reached US$ 1.2 billion at the end of September 2001.Meanwhile, Indonesia's total import value from the Netherlands reached US$ 300 million in 2001. Rini says talks between the two countries are increasingly important now that the Netherlands is part of the European Union. Dutch entrepreneurs are ready to invest in Indonesia and some have already begun scouting for local partners. Rini said her department will bring together the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Indonesian entrepreneurs and Dutch entrepreneurs for a lunch reception. “The Dutch delegation are emphasizing that business could go on if Indonesia can maintain security. If our government can do this, the Dutch will increase their investments in Indonesia,” Rini said quoting Gerrit. In a separate place, Directorate-General of International Industry and Trade Hartanto Reksodiputro said that the Dutch delegation plans to meet with many from the Indonesian business society. “It's most important that we have one-to-one meetings,” said Hartanto. He added that the Dutch delegation were next scheduled for meetings in Surabaya.
