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Indonesia calls for action on protectionism
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Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (left), accompanied by artist Chelsea Islan, reads the letters of Kartini (the women's emancipation hero) at Bank Indonesia Museum in Jakarta on April 11, at an event to welcome Kartini Day, which will be held on April 21. (Antara/Wahyu Putro)
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ndonesia hopes a series of upcoming joint-periodical meetings held by the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will prove to be a strong measure against the rising trend of protectionism that threatens to disrupt global trade.
Slated to attend the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, held from April 17 to 23 in Washington D.C., United States (US), Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the upcoming gatherings would be important as leaders are expected to reach strong conclusions in the face of global uncertainty.
“There was an impression that finance ministers did not reach agreement on that issue [protectionism] during the previous meeting of the G-20 in Baden-Baden, Germany,” she said in a press conference on Monday.
(Read also: Indonesia can still thrive in trade finance despite protectionism)
“This time, we want to ensure the commitment is strong to work together on our economic policies to fight protectionism and manage our developments fairly.”
Sri Mulyani, who also chairs the forum’s Development Committee, said leaders were also expected to discuss critical issues in developing countries, such as weak commodity prices, as well as rising poverty and inequality.
Indonesia will also attend several other meetings at the forum to discuss various topics, such as the future of Africa, the fight against tax evasion and money laundering, infrastructure financing schemes and climate change.
On the sidelines, Sri Mulyani is also scheduled to meet businesspeople involved in the US-Indonesia Society (USINDO) to discuss Indonesia’s economic updates. The council was established in October 2015 by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and former US president Barrack Obama. (bbn)
