REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- The East Java provincial government is taking strategic steps to face the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

The steps include nurturing micro, small and medium business centers across the province, East Java Governor Soekarwo said here Saturday.

East Java is one of the important start-ups to face ASEAN free trade, he said.

"The East Java provincial, district and municipal governments have agreed that they do not want to be a mere market in the ASEAN Economic Community," he said.

ASEAN free market will lead to borderless flow of goods and services so that low-priced and good quality products will dominate the market, he said.

"East Java must become a producer to flood goods and services to the ASEAN markets. The ASEAN free market is a war against business," he said.

To face the ASEAN free trade, Gresik district, which is known for its traditional foods including pudak must be able to change the packaging of its products, he said.

"Therefore, the packaging of products must be done in such a way that they meet the market needs and are able to compete with other products," he said.

Various efforts have been made to deal with the AEC as and when it is implemented. East Java has established cooperation with developed nations including Japan and Germany to improve the skills of the local people, he said.

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