http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1264270195/ri-not-to-postpone-acfats-implementation-trade-minister
RI not to postpone ACFAT`s implementation : trade minister Sunday, January 24, 2010 01:09 WIB | Economic & Business | | Viewed 132 time(s) Semarang, C Java (ANTARA News) - Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu gave the assurance on Saturday Indonesia would not postpone the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) effective on January 1, 2010. "We have set up a team to study and evaluate every thing (related to ACFTA). The important thing is how to improve the competitive edge of Indonesian products," she said. The team set up in coordination with the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs would study a wide range of issues, including infrastructure, high-cost economy, and transportation cost, she said. "The next thing we have to think of is how to protect the domestic market because we have to ensure that the products circulating in the domestic market meet standards and do not endanger consumers," she said. All countries certainly had regulations to ensure that all the products they import are secure and meet standards. Likewise, Indonesia also had to ensure that its products exported to other countries are secure and meet standards, she said. She said the trade ministry was mulling the issuance of safeguard-like instruments in anticipation of unfair trade, such as the inflow of low-priced goods. "We can impose anti-dumping duties on such products," she said. The trade ministry also had taken positive steps in response to the implementation of ACFTA by encouraging the use of local products as set forth in Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2009, she said. Under the presidential instruction, all government agencies including state-owned companies and regional government-owned companies must give priority to local products, she said. In addition, the trade ministry would also continue to launch "love Indonesian products" campaigns, she said. "The last step is promoting goods which have export opportunities by tapping market potentials. Industry and trade offices have figured out which commodities can be exported," she said.( [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
