JAKARTADAILY.ID – Indonesia has invited economies participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to prioritize structural reforms in trade and services as a means to enhance trade performance in the face of global economic challenges.
Recognizing the need for an active role from APEC economies, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesia aims to boost the overall performance of the world economy.
The Director of Services Trade Negotiations at the Directorate General of International Trade Negotiations, Basaria Tiara D Lumban Gaol, made this call during her participation as a guest speaker at the 2023 APEC Services Competitiveness Roadmap Annual Dialogue meeting held on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan, United States. This dialogue preceded the upcoming APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting scheduled for May 25-26, 2023.
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"We support the action plans initiated by APEC economies through structural and policy reforms aimed at global economic recovery. Particularly during the post-pandemic period, an active collective role is crucial to boost the performance of the world economy," emphasized Tiara.
During her presentation, Tiara highlighted the policies implemented by Indonesia to support structural reforms in the trade in services sector. These policies serve as the foundation for strengthening trade in services and act as pillars for overall economic advancement.
"Indonesia's structural reforms are comprehensive, addressing all aspects while considering the simplification of regulations and enhancing the capacities of institutions involved in trade in services. This is crucial for reinforcing Indonesia's trade in services and supporting the action plans developed by APEC economies, while taking into account the interests of each participating economy," explained Tiara.
Furthermore, Tiara emphasized that Indonesia has simplified regulations that previously hindered trade and investment in the country. This simplification enables the expeditious acquisition of business licenses without compromising the essence of licensing interests. Examples of simplification include permits for construction services, telecommunications services, and the immigration system.
In addition to discussing structural reforms, Indonesia underscored the importance of APEC economies' support for professional mobility across economies. Currently, Indonesia is in discussions with Australia regarding a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for professional workers, particularly in the field of trade in services, such as engineers.
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"The support for the MRA of these professionals will undoubtedly yield significant benefits, not only for specific professions but for all professional workers in the trade in (the) services sector," added Tiara.
During the meeting, APEC economies emphasized the necessity of data and statistics in the field of trade in services to facilitate the implementation of the roadmap. This entails enhancing the ability of APEC economies to collect, calculate, and present data on trade in services.
Previously, Indonesia organized a workshop on data and statistics related to trade in services in June 2021 as part of the APEC roadmap implementation. The country submitted a report on this matter in January 2022, reflecting its commitment to advancing the goals of APEC in the field of trade in services.
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