RI Need To Attracts Investment From Australia

Jakarta, April 16 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to attract businessmen from West Australia so that they will invest in Indonesian regions which are near the Australian state, a former chief economic minister said. "They can invest their own capital or cooperate with Indonesian partners in building seaports or establishing factories whose products are for exports," Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti, former coordinating minister for economic affairs, said here on Monday night. He said that they could build factories in areas near the Australian state and export their products to countries through the sea lanes near the export destinations. Dorodjatun, who is also an economic professor of the University of Indonesia, said that the sea lane in the Sunda Strait could be used to transport export products to Pakistan, Bangladesh and countries in Africa. He was speaking to a limited dialog with The First Murdoch Commission which was also attended by five Indonesian journalists. Dorodjaton is also a commissioner of the Commission which is co-chaired by Kerry Sanderson of gold firm Perth Mint, Australia, and Chung Min Lee of South Korea`s Yonsei University in Seoul. The commission conducted various discussions and researches to explore the Southeast Asian and Western Australian regions. West Australia has large mining natural resources but its investors have yet to utilize opportunities in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. Sanderson meanwhile said that mining resources were Australia`s major export commodities to China. The trade relations between West Australia and China had relatively provided input for the Australian state. The other commissioners who attended the meeting were President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs John McCarthy, former Indonesian ambassador to Australia Sabam Siagian and Dinna Wisnu, post-graduate director of Paramadina University. During the discussion, Dorodjatun also expressed his future projection of the Indonesian economic development which was showing a positive trend. Indonesia will become an important player with other countries like China and India. He said that young leaders from Southeast Asian countries, China, India and Australia needed to meet and have dialogs to face the future. "They should not forget the history relations of countries in the region, which is an asset to make a wise decision," Dorodjatun said.