KADIN GORONTALO SUPPORTS AFTA IMPLEMENTATION

Gorontalo, Jan 23 (ANTARA) - The Gorontalo branch of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) supports the implementation of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) in Indonesia.

Kadin Gorontalo spokesman Rocky Liando said here on Saturday that AFTA was one of international agreements on free trade in Indonesia.

Following AFTA implementation, Rocky said the Indonesian community would later find it easier to buy industrial goods with better quality at lower prices.

"AFTA is good for the low and middle class community," Rocky said, adding that the Indonesian people had been notified for eight years to be ready to get into a free trade era and thus there was no reason to reject it.

According to Rocky, Indonesia as a big country should at present have been able to respond to challenges from Asean countries in the implementation of the free trade area.

"We should be ashamed of ourselves if we have to extend the time of international industrial competition," Rocky said.

He admitted that there were certain parties who disagreed with the implementation of AFTA in Indonesia because it could have a negative impact on the domestic industry, but actually there should be no such worry because it could motivate the domestic industries to improve their quality and compete with other countries.