REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia is giving special priority to issues highlighted by Laos during its 2016 ASEAN chairmanship, involving the financing of initiative development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as utilization of free trade agreements (FTAs).
"Our focus is giving financial access to SMEs through a registration process and FTA's utilization through pathfinder development," the Trade Ministry Director General for International Trade Cooperation, Bachrul Chairi said in a written statement received by Antara on Thursday.
Despite those two significant issues, he said, Indonesia will also try to make doing business easy and help in strategy development for ecotourism, as well as best practices for developing special economic zones (SEZs) by enhancing more trade and investment.
Bachrul was appointed as the Indonesian Chairman of Senior Economic Official Meeting (SEOM) for the 22nd ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat Meeting (AEM Retreat).
He previously represented Indonesia at the Preparatory SEOM of AEM Retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The preparatory meeting was to discuss eight ASEAN priority issues under Laos' chairmanship, which covered the ASEAN trade facilitation framework (ATFF), food safety regulatory framework, institutional framework for financial access for SMEs, including a business registration process and pathfinder rates.
In addition, the space for SME's establishment and development, process of business registration and tariff finder, Vientiane declaration on ecotourism, collaboration framework for SEZs, as well as the master plan for the development of Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
Other important issues discussed in the preparatory meeting were the development level of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) implementation, operation of AEC's blueprint, development of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiation, as well as the preparation of a consultation meeting between the ASEAN economic ministers and the EU Trade Commissioner.
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