REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government has extended a visa-free facility to around 130 business people from South Africa to attend Trade Expo Indonesia 2015 here from October 21-15.

These business people are arriving as members of a delegation of National Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The special invitation is part of the government's efforts to increase business cooperation with the South African business community," head of Indonesian Trade Promotion Center in Johannesburg, Pontas Parsaroan Tobing, said in a press statement received here on Monday.

The 130 South African business people held a business meeting with members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) sometime ago when they were invited to attend the ITPC. It was then that the government had provided a visa-free facility to them for a 30-day visit.

The meeting resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Kadin general chairman, Suryo Bambang Sulisto, and NAFCOC chairman Lawrence Mavundla.

"The MOU is expected to lead to new understanding with regard to increasing trade, business and investment, deepen the relations between South Africa and Indonesia in the future and help exploit the great potential the two countries have," Pontas said.

South Africa is an important export destination country for Indonesia. Based on World Trade Atlas data, Indonesia is ranked 27th among exporters to South Africa with the total trade between Indonesia and South Africa reaching US$1.21 billion in 2014.

South Africa has so far been importing palm oil, rubber, coffee, paper, car engines, ceramic, footwear and agricultural equipment from Indonesia.

"We hope that following the TEI 2015, South African business people would import other prime products from Indonesia," Pontas said.

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