Envoys told to seize opportunities abroad

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday spoke with 14 Indonesian envoys in a move to boost export volumes to several major economies. At the meeting, the President asked the ambassadors to help identify potential opportunities to market Indonesian goods.

It is hoped that the country’s export volume can be increased from US$203.62 billion in 2011 to $300 billion this year, according to Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.

Although, at 47 percent, it is a steep increase, Hatta was optimistic that the target could be reached given the many domestic products that had yet to be optimally promoted.

“Apart from political and cultural aspects, the President highlighted the importance of improving trade volume and foreign direct investment,” Hatta said after the meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor.

“As the government has repeatedly said, we need to reduce the importation of products that we can produce ourselves. At the same time, we have to enhance the quality of our goods so they can be more attractive to foreign buyers,” Hatta added.

A number of Cabinet ministers also attended the meeting to assist the ambassadors with issues that may hamper Indonesia’s efforts to enhance exports to their respective countries.

The 14 ambassadors were the ambassador to the US, Dino Patti Djalal, Jauhari Oratmangun (Russia), Sudaryomo Hartosudarmo (Brazil), Nahari Agustini (Turkey), Rezlan Djenie (France), Imron Cotan (China), Nicholas Tandi Dammen (South Korea), Andi Muhammad Ghalib (India), M. Lutfi (Japan), Sjahril Sabaruddin (South Africa), Primo Alui Julianto (Australia), Mayerfas (Vietnam), Moh. Hamzah Tayeb (UK) and Arif Havaz Oegroseno (EU).

Indonesia has diplomats stationed in 88 countries but these 14 ambassadors are assigned to countries that have special ties and economic partnerships with Indonesia.

“You need to learn what we must do in order to enhance our roles in regional and global forums, such as through establishing comprehensive and strategic partnerships to achieve the maximum national benefits for our country,” Yudhoyono told the envoys.

Yudhoyono’s foreign affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the President had urged the ambassadors to immediately identify problems and opportunities in their respective countries of assignment.

“Each of the envoys was given time to deliver statements on what obstacles they had found and the potential trade opportunities that we can optimize,” he told The Jakarta Post. “We don’t want ‘retail’ trades, we have to reach ‘wholesale’ deals.”

Faizasyah added that the ambassadors had also been tasked with submitting regular follow-up reports on Yudhoyono’s instructions. “The Foreign Ministry will help monitor their performance.”

Hatta said foreign envoys had to be able to optimize their “economic intelligence” skills.

“This is vital because the ambassadors are the ones who first learn about what is happening in a certain country and how it will impact our trade ties,” he said.

Hatta said the foreign minister and economy-related ministers needed to organize regular meetings to discuss economic-intelligence information. “This kind of information must be translated into strategic business policies that benefit our national interests,” he said.

A proper optimization of such information would help the government prevent foreign boycotts of Indonesian products, Hatta said.

Monday’s meeting was part of a series of Presidential meetings with diplomats in the past few weeks.

Last Thursday, Yudhoyono gathered 130 Indonesian envoys — including 85 ambassadors and 28 consuls-general stationed in 88 countries — at the Foreign Ministry.

A week before, the President also met with 128 foreign envoys assigned to Indonesia at the ministry.