Phil Turtle
National President

President's Column

Dear Members and Friends,

As 2017 draws to a close, I would like to thank you all for your support during the year, and wish you and your families a most joyous festive season.

This year has seen the relationship between our countries at a recent high, led by the warm relationship between our Leaders, Prime Minister Turnbull and President Jokowi. Activity around IA-CEPA has been a key focus, with Round 11 of negotiations just concluded in Jakarta. By all accounts Indonesia and Australia have continued to make good progress, reaching accord on most of the text of the agreement, with discussions ongoing to finalise key issues concerning market access on goods, services and investment. Whilst hope had been held for a conclusion to IA-CEPA in 2017, it will most likely be sometime into early 2018 that an Agreement is ready for signing.

IA-BPG Members with Trade Negotiating Teams in Jakarta for Round 11 Negotiations – December 2017

In the lead up to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney next March, and in this year of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN, Austrade, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, have together launched the "ASEAN Now : Insights for Australian Business” report. Together with our Prime Minister, Indonesia’s President will play an important role in this historic Summit, and AIBC is proud to be supporting this event and a range of associated activity.

As ASEAN continues to grow in importance for the Australian Business Community, the AIBC will be increasingly working alone, and with other organisations, to bring relevant and topical information and events to our Members.

In signing off, I would again give notice of AIBC’s 2018 Conference, to be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, with dates tentatively set for 11-13 November. Further details of what promises to be a great Conference will be provided throughout the coming year, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Phil Turtle
National President

NSW Update

AIBC & AIYA NSW "End of Year Wrap"

AIBC NSW held an End of Year Wrap Function on Thursday December 7th. It was kindly sponsored by Corporate Member Macquarie University at their new city campus in Angel Place.
The event was co- hosted with AIYA.

The night was enjoyed by our guests and we had an opportunity to hear from Macquarie Director International, Matthew Monkhouse about their Indonesia Focus.

Andaleeb Akhand AIYA Events Officer and Pauline Le Floch Macquarie Abroard Manager, Macquarie International.

AIYA National President , Nicholas Mark , Solicitor at Swaab Attorneys with Macquarie International’s Bryce Morton

AIBC NSW Chair, Mihael Fay reflected on the IA CEPA journey in 2017 and the IABC Conference.


AIBC NSW look forward to hosting an interesting program of events in 2018.

AIBC & AIYA NSW would like to thank Macquarie University for hosting this event:

Michael Fay
NSW Chairman

QLD Update

Meeting with President and Members of the Chamber of Commerce – Solo, Indonesia 

On 12th November, Hugh Ritchie and David Widjaja met with the President and members of the Solo Chamber of Commerce in Solo to discuss the possibility of introducing AIBC Qld businesses to those of Central Java. Good discussions were had, and we look forward to linking AIBC Qld members to this exciting region in Indonesia.

Queensland visit by Pak Abdul Wahab Bangkona - current Special Advisor to the Minister of Manpower, Senior Negotiator IA-CEPA, former Secretary General Ministry of Manpower, Republic of Indonesia

On 29th November, following the Business Summit in Adelaide, Pak Abdul Wahab Bangkona travelled to Brisbane to address the ABIC Qld Committee regarding the IA-CEPA and the opportunities that will exist between businesses from Australia and Indonesia following the signing. It was a very informal and interactive discussion that gave our Committee members a much greater insight into the IA-CEPA process and background.

Pak Wahab joined Committee members for a lunch following the meeting for further discussion. In addition, while in Brisbane Pak Wahab meet a number of Qld businesses to promote bilateral trade between the two countries. His long-term association with Australia and breadth of experience in a range of business sectors were invaluable to the businesspeople he met with regarding their future relationship with Indonesian businesses.

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Graham Quirk recognises David Widjaja’s service to the city

On 4th December, AIBC Qld Vice Chair David Widjaja was recognised by Brisbane’s Lord Mayor for his tireless efforts in supporting the multicultural community of Brisbane. David who both sits on the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Roundtable and mentors multicultural businesses based in Brisbane selflessly gives his time to assist “new” Queenslanders succeed in their new community.

Hugh Ritchie
QLD Chairman

SA Update

Christmas Networking Function

The SA Chapter had a number of members and friends of the AIBC attend a Christmas drinks event at the Glasshouse Hotel on Thursday, 7th December along with representatives from Austrade, SA Department of State Development and DFAT joining guests.

Luncheon with Consul-General in Bali – 20 November 2017

DFAT hosted a luncheon with Helena Studdert, Australia’s Consul General to Bali. Helena spoke on the broad topic of Bali’s place in contemporary Indonesia and opportunities for business in the region.  

Jim McMillan
SA Chairman

VIC Update

Young Professionals networking: Indonesian ghost stories

On Wednesday 29 November, AIBC Victoria’s Young Professionals gathered for their second networking event for the year.  Tito Ambyo, Associate Lecture in Media and Communications at RMIT spoke about his research and reflecting on Indonesian ghost stories, their significance for Indonesia’s cultural heritage, their role in bilateral cross-cultural experiences and their potential significance for meaningful people-to-people engagement and Indonesia’s self-identity and confidence.  It was a fascinating presentation and provoked much discussion.  
We thank Hall & Wilcox for kindly hosting the events, as well as our friends in the Australia Indonesia Youth Association for their continued interest and look forward to further Young Professional events in 2018.
 

Digital Economy: New Frontier in Australia-Indonesia Relationship  
    
On Monday 11 December, AIBC Victoria together with the Australia Indonesia Centre, AsiaLink Business and Trade Victoria held a panel discussion on the Indonesian government’s innovation policy and the major trends in its digital economy.  With the fastest growing internet market in the world, the event explored how Australia can capture such opportunities.  The panellists included Dr Stephanie Fahey (CEO, Austrade), Laura Anderson (Chair, LaunchVic), Andrew Parker (Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers), with AIBC Victoria Committee Member and AIC Digital Economy Fellow, Helen Brown, serving as moderator.  The discussion was very well attended and was a great way to conclude AIBC Victoria’s 2017 schedule of events.

Jared Heath
VIC Chairman

ASEAN - Australia Special Summit

In March 2018, Leaders from all 10 ASEAN nations will be welcomed to Sydney for an unprecedented ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. Prime Minister Turnbull initiated the Summit at the first ASEAN-Australia dialogue, where he observed, “A special summit in Australia would deepen our economic partnerships through closer links between ASEAN businesses and the private sector and bolster our strategic partnership.”

AIBC is working together with various groups involved in the Summit, as Indonesia of course is central to ASEAN, with Jakarta being home of the ASEAN Secretariat. Furthermore, a key focus of AIBC has been to encourage the establishment or regional supply-chains taking advantage of the strengths of various countries, notably Australia and Indonesia, to help meet the goods and services needs of a large part of the global economy. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo is also expected to play a key role at this forum.

The website for the Summit is now active here, and contains preliminary information on the various aspects of the Summit.

Registrations for the SME Conference component are now open here.

IndoView

New Frontiers for the Minerals Council of Australia

New frontiers: South and East Asia is a research
study by Mike Adams, Nicolas Brown and Ron
Wickes, the partners of Trading Nation Consulting,
for the Minerals Council of Australia.

The New Frontiers study will produce a series of
reports identifying opportunities and setting out
an agenda for Australian trade negotiators and
mining and METS businesses to expand trade and
investment links with emerging Asian economies.

The Trading Nation Consulting partners are former
senior officials of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade and the authors of Trading Nation:
Advancing Australia’s interests in world markets,
UNSW Press, 2013.  To read the recently released paper, please click here.

Mining Companies Facing Possible Tax Changes

In his latest article, Bill Sullivan of Christian Teo & Partners, looks at proposed changes to Indonesia’s taxation system.

"Indonesia is contemplating possible significant changes to the tax regime for mining companies.

If these changes eventuate, at least some mining companies will face material additional revenue burdens.

There also appears to be an attempt to use the possible tax changes as a means of putting further pressure on Contract of Work holders to quickly fall into line and accept the Government’s position on the outstanding Contract of Work renegotiation issues."

To read this article in full, click here.