TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

TPP will only benefit US-based ICT firms, says activist

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, August 29, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

TPP will only benefit US-based ICT firms, says activist Indonesia for Global Justice's (IGJ) Rachmi Hertanti (second left) speaks during a discussion at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute's (LBH) office in Jakarta on Aug. 28. She has called on the government to stop efforts to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, claiming that it will bankrupt Indonesia. (JP/Reza Zafiruddin)

T

he Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will only benefit US-based information and communication technology (ICT) firms, rather than other companies, an activist has said.

ICT Watch executive director Donny Budhi Utoyo argued that a number of firms such as IBM, Microsoft and Oracle would enjoy a spike in sales, as the agreement obligates member countries to allow cross-border transfers of information.

Joining the pact, he said, would make Indonesian ICT companies a sales target for US firms’ products. “Because they [US-based ICT firms] lead the world market,” he said in a discussion on Sunday in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ) spokeswoman Rachmi Hertanti said the TPP agreement would equalize opportunities and rules for foreign and domestic investors to do business and eventually squash local companies in their effort to compete against global corporations.

The agreement also encourages members to remove trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas. “The TPP tends to take the side of foreign corporations instead of national interests,” Rachmi said at the discussion.

The TPP is a trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the US and Vietnam. They represent 37 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) of US$27.8 trillion.

The agreement was signed on Feb. 4 in Auckland, New Zealand, and must be ratified by all members before it comes into force. (rez/ags)

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.