RI, NZ, AUSTRALIA TO FORM TASK FORCE ON INVESTMENT

Jakarta, Dec 27 (ANTARA) - The governments of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand will soon set up a joint task force to assess investment potentials in the agribusiness/agricultural sector, a senior trade official said.
International Trade Cooperation Director General Gusmardi Bustamin said here on Saturday that the three countries' agreement to establish a joint task force constituted additional commitment in their effort to follow up the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).
"The task force is important to assess and identify the sector and sub-sector before investment is to be in the agricultural field," he said.
The director general said that the establishment of the task force was an effort to increase capacity building in the management of the agricultural sector based on its investment development potential in the future.
"We will soon carry out a study and work out a capacity building working program, particularly in the dairy and meat products," he said.
According to Bustamin, the setting up of the task force is not intended to identify areas for negative investment but an effort to identify sectors and sub-sectors for investment.
"This is welcomed by the agriculture ministers of the three countries. This is good for cooperation and for looking at potentials which could be promoted to Australia and New Zealand," the director general said. ***2***