Phil Turtle
National President

President's Column

Dear Members and Friends,

Notwithstanding some recent challenges to the relationship between Indonesia and Australia, all remain hopeful that within the next handful of weeks, perhaps when Prime Minister Morrison meets with President Widodo at the East Asia Summit in Singapore, we will see the signing of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA). Once more our Gold Coast Conference, in just under a weeks’ time, will be an important forum for updates on this Agreement, and for networking with key organisations and individuals involved in Trade & Investment between our countries. For anyone still wishing to attend, places remain available, so please contact the AIBC here to arrange your registration.

AIBC has been delighted to work with the Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) over recent weeks, offering support to this important initiative of DFAT and the Australia Indonesia Institute. Aside from hosting a reception in our Melbourne headquarters for the Indonesian scholars participating, AIBC has been pleased to host an AIYEP intern, Miss Indry Dwiyani, who is from Makassar in South Sulawesi and holds a degree in psychology from the State University of Makassar. We look forward to working with future AIYEP cohorts, as these young and enthusiastic Australian and Indonesian participants, who have been subjected to a rigorous selection process, will undoubtedly become leaders of our relationship for many years to come.

AIYEP Scholars from around Indonesia at a Reception in their honour – AIBC/International Chamber House, Melbourne (AIBC Intern Miss Indry Dwiyani back row, 3rd from left)

AIBC was also pleased to support Trade Expo Indonesia held in Tangerang Oct 24-28. This event showcased an amazing array of diverse products that Indonesia proudly produces, and hopefully under IA-CEPA we may see many more of them arrive on Australian shores. A delegation from AIBC NT included a number of well-known NT “locals”, including NT Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Kate Worden.

Linda Reeves (AIBC Chair NT) leading a delegation to Trade Expo Indonesia, including Trade Minister Lukita, Ambassador Gary Quinlan, Ambassador Kristiarto Legowo, NT Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Kate Worden and Bill Farmer AO

AIBC’s National Mining & Energy Group has also been attending the IMARC Conference in Melbourne, with representatives from AIBC, EMR Capital, Nusantara Resources and Gilbert & Tobin all contributing to a booth showcasing Australian involvement in the Indonesian mining sector, as well as recent Indonesian co-investments in Australian coal projects. This is a first for AIBC, and we thank our partners for their involvement and support, and look forward to future initiatives together.

Over recent weeks, State Finals have been held for the Australian Export Awards, with a number of businesses involved with Indonesia recognized as State Winners and Finalists. A sample of these include Steel Blue, ACICIS, the WA East Java University Consortium, and Cochlear. We wish these and other finalists well as they prepare for the National Awards at the end of November in Canberra.

Now with the festive season fast approaching, our sights are very much fixed on our major Conference on the Gold Coast Nov 11-13. We are delighted with the response this has received, and we hope to see you there.
 

Phil Turtle
National President

AIBC Biennial Conference 2018

REGISTRATIONS CLOSING
FRIDAY 9TH NOVEMBER 2018

"Partnering for Prosperity in a World of Change"

With evolving relationships between world powers, a challenging international economic system and new business models and technologies, what are the opportunities as Australia and Indonesia seek to strengthen a partnership for mutual prosperity?

AIBC's flagship event for 2018, the AIBC National Conference to be held Nov 11-13 at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, on Queensland’s world famous Gold Coast.

The Program will feature:

• H.E. Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, National Minister for National Development Planning & 
  Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS)
• H.E. Tom Lembong, Chairman, Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM)
• Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Australian Shadow Assistant Treasurer & Shadow Minister for Trade in Services
• H.E. Gary Quinlan AO, Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia
• H.E. Kristiarto S. Legowo, Indonesia's Ambassador to Australia
• Hamzah Thayeb, President, IABC and former Indonesian Ambassador to Australia
• Mayor Tom Tate, City of Gold Coast
• The Hon. Bill Farmer AO, Conference Patron and Former Australian Ambassador to Indonesia

Prominent business, government and academic leaders from both countries

Other Dignitaries are expected to include:

• The Hon. Shannon Fentiman, Minister for Employment, Small Business, Training and Skills Development, Queensland (TBC)

​Andrew Parker, Asia Practice Leader and Partner, PwC will deliver the Keynote address at the Welcome Dinner on Sunday evening.

The Hon. Andrew Robb AO, Chairman of Asialink and Asialink Business, and Australia's former Minister for Trade and Investment, will deliver the Keynote Address at the Gala Dinner on Monday evening.

To view the Conference Program, please click here.  Pricing and additional participant information can be found here.

To Register as a participant, please click here for more details, then click the “Register" button above and enter your details.

To take advantage of this unique event as a Sponsor Partner, please click here for more details.

As preparations continue for AIBC’s Biennial Conference in November on the Gold Coast, please continue to look out for further announcements here in AIBCnews, via our AIBC National Twitter account and by following #aibc18.  We hope to see you there.

As you can see from the collected feedback from our last Conference in Perth, the event was a major success, and one we are looking to surpass.

Any enquiries can be directed to president@aibc.com.au.

QLD Update

AIBC/TIQ Roundtable Events in Brisbane and Gold Coast, 11th and 19th October

October was a month mainly filled with AIBC National Conference preparation however we were able to facilitate a couple of great Roundtable Events with our close associates at TIQ and KPMG. This month included Export Week for TIQ with all the Trade Commissioners from around the world returning to Queensland for events and interaction with stakeholders state-wide in relation to export advice and opportunities. In what has now become an annual event, the AIBC and TIQ co-hosted two Roundtable sessions with Qld’s new Trade Commissioner, Ben Giles and his colleagues Russ Mackie and Lucas Nguyen for AIBC members and associates. Both events were sold out reaching the 20-person capacity, again showing the growing interest in the Australia-Indonesia trade space. The first event was held in in the boardroom at the TIQ Offices at 1 William St, Brisbane where TIQ kindly provided a lunch for the very diverse group of businesspeople attending. The event provided a forum were the attendees were able to interact with the trade commissioner and each other in a very practical and effective way. The second roundtable was held in the boardroom of KPMG, Gold Coast, where long time AIBC supporter, KPMG, sponsored a great lunch for the attendees. This was the first time that the AIBC has hosted an event on the Gold Coast and it was very successful with many of the attendees indicating that they would be attending the AIBC Conference on the Gold Coast in November. 

The Gold Coast event ran to a very similar, productive format as the Brisbane event with one major difference, being the attendance of His Excellency Prof. Mardiasmo, Vice Minister of Finance, Republic of Indonesia.  Prof. Mardiasmo is a great friend of Queensland and a big supporter of the growing relationship between Indonesia and Australia. It was a huge honour to have the Vice Minister attend our event and share his wisdom with the attendees. AIBC QLD would again like to thank our friends and partners at both TIQ and KPMG for their continued support and look forward to seeing all the attendees again at the AIBC National Conference at the Marriot Hotel on the Gold Coast from 11-13/11/2018.

Hugh Ritchie
QLD Chairman

VIC Update

AIBC – AIYEP Meet and Greet, ICH, Melbourne

Australia Indonesia Business Council Young Professionals, which was initiated by AIBC WA in 2014 recognising the great and important role of young people in many tracts, particularly in regards to leadership, business, economics, trade, investment, and how they can develop networks and form relationships between the two nations, Australia and Indonesia. AIBC YP's also took the initiative to always create a forum for discuss and building network to develop the whole things in order to achieve their aim.

Wednesday, 24 October 2018, AIBC YP’s held a Meet and Greet with Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) Participants in order to create an active and collaborative community of young Victorians and Indonesians by providing them with opportunities to network. Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program has been one of the biggest youth exchange program which aims to achieve people to people contact and intercultural understanding. This year, 18 youths from all over Indonesia had been selected to represent the nation. In order to achieve the goals, they will be doing a professional working placement, cultural performance, community development, and living with the host family which has been arranged and supported by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia Indonesia Institute (AII), AFS Intercultural Program, Ministry of Youth and Sport of Indonesia, and Purnacaraka Muda Indonesia (PCMI).

The event was held from 6-8 PM with a welcome from AIBC by Phil Turtle, AIBC National President of AIBC, a welcome, Candice Colman, AIBC YP Co-ordinator and VIC Committee Member, Dr. Kirrilee Hughes, AIYEP and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs Australia, and Agus Gunadi as one of the delegate of AIYEP 2018. All guests also enjoyed a welcome from Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia for Victoria and Tasmania, Ibu Spica A. Tutuhatunewa.

AIYEP Intern, Miss Indry Dwiyani, Female Participant Leader of AIYEP  (rear)

AIYEP Participants also presented some stunning performances. They started with the opening acts and introduce themselves one by one with a little traditional dance movement from their respective Province. Then, they happily presented a Traditional Medley Song also with some movement which was really great. They sang six traditional songs in one good song harmonization package. There are Ande-Ande Lumut, from Central Java, Dambe-Dambe from West Nusa Tenggara, Tope Gugu from Central Sulawesi, Huhate from Maluku, and Selayang Pandang from Riau.

The last performance from AIYEP was presented by one of the delegate from North Kalimantan, Usman Dzulkarnain, by playing a traditional music instrument, called Sampe, while singing. Not only traditional song that he plays, buat also one of a well-known song by Celine Dion, My Heart Will Go On.

Hereinafter, performances completed and the networking session and discussion continues. AIYEP Participants learnt so many lessons and new linkages were formed as well.  What a night!

IndoView

Deepening Understanding and Australia-Indonesia Ties

Australian journalist Duncan Graham, who lives in East Java, has released his latest non-fiction book, The Tyranny of Proximity. It’s a follow up to his earlier The People Next Door (UWA Press) for which Duncan has now partnered with Kompas Media Nusantara, Indonesia’s leading publisher, to produce the book.
In the foreword WA Governor Kim Beazley writes: ‘Tyranny of Proximity will ease you into the rich and intriguing labyrinth of the archipelago’s history, culture and traditions which have shaped the way Indonesians behave.’
Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono adds: ‘Duncan rightly stresses how vital it is that we get to know each other at village and kampong level and not just around conference tables in big cities.’

‘Several chapters tell the inspiring stories of ordinary individuals driven to demolish real or imagined barriers; they do so not because it’s their job, but because they hold to that great Australian moral tradition - mateship which sets the agenda for peace and mutual prosperity.’

Kompas now plans to publish the book in Indonesian as well, although this will require some further support to complete the full and precise translation. This shapes as a project with lasting benefit for both countries and likely to get much attention. If you have an interest, or may be able to assist, contact Duncan directly at wordstars@hotmail.com

Kiat Indonesia Australia Partnership for Infrastructure

Indonesia continues to show robust development progress with an emphasis on inclusive infrastructure positioned as one of its highest priorities. The current National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN 2015-19) devotes significant attention to infrastructure, outlining priority areas for investment and targets to be met. Currently, Indonesia spends about 4% of its GDP on infrastructure which is relatively low compared to other high growth economies in Asia.

Key Government of Indonesia objectives include enhancing inter-island connectivity and port development, road infrastructure improvement, improving water and sanitation service provision, addressing the energy production deficit, and reducing urban congestion.

The KIAT Facility provides technical advice in the areas of policy and regulatory reform, project preparation, financing and delivery, to encourage greater investment in infrastructure.

To view further opportunities from KIAT, please click here.
 

Invitation to participate in the AIIA Indonesian Study Tour, June 10–23, 2019

(L-R) George Iwan Marantika, Vice Chairman, Association of Private Higher Education Institutions in Indonesia (APTISI)
Patrick Moore President (Victorian Chapter) Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) & Tour Leader, Peter Craven State Chair, AIBC TAS, Staff, H.E. R. Agus Bastian SE, MM Regent of Purworejo, Province of Central Java, Leith Doody andStaff

To read more on AIIA's upcoming program, click here.

Regulatory Responses to Indonesia’s Economic Situation

In his latest article, Bill Sullivan of Christian Teo & Partners, looks at policy changes being proposed to counter Indonesia’s difficult economic situation.

" The recent increase in Indonesia’s current account deficit and the associated weakening in the value of the local currency have placed the Government under added pressure at a time when it can least afford a deteriorating economic situation; namely, the run-up to a Presidential Election.

The present difficult economic situation could cause the Government to reconsider various policies in the energy and mining sectors including, possibly, the ban on exports of unprocessed metal minerals and, by implication, Indonesia’s domestic processing & refining policy with regard to metal minerals.”

To read this article in full, click here.
 

Indonesia Market Update

In their October 2018 edition of “Indonesia Market Update”, Morelink Asia Pacific provide news updates across many key sectors including the Indonesian economy, investment, trade, retail, agrifood, manufacturing, automotive, ICT and infrastructure sectors.

To read this update, click here.