Kraków (Photos courtesy of Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Jakarta)

“The first time we went to Poland in 1984, we heard about Polish engineers having a very good reputation for building the Jakarta port in the seventies and that is what made us curious about this far-away country. We imported some Polish-made electronics which indeed turned out to have excellent quality and a competitive price. Producers have changed over the years but our customers here in Indonesia still enjoy electronics made in Poland. We have been importing them for over 30 years,” said the owner of a Glodok-based electronics company with a national reach.

Polish know-how, state-of-the-art technology, skilled and highly qualified staff, great quality and competitive prices all add to the “Made in Poland” brand’s competitive advantages. And the popularity of this brand, with red-and-white national colors just like Indonesia, is on a rise.

Several companies from Poland have managed to succeed in the Indonesian market, some are still on the road to success. There is currently a Polish mining project in Sulawesi, a Polish company is building a power plant on Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, a Polish investor is preparing to open its poultry processing plant next year on the outskirts of Jakarta. Capital from Poland has also been fueling the Indonesian tourist sector. Poland has interest in opening its labor market for some categories of Indonesian workers. However, the potential for mutually beneficial economic relations is much greater and both countries seem to realize it.

The Polish Investment and Trade Agency is currently renovating its new office located in the heart of Jakarta’s business district in the Indonesia Stock Exchange building. It is to have its grand opening later this month with the Polish minister of foreign affairs set to attend. As a visible sign of Polish engagement in Indonesia, the Jakarta Foreign Trade Office will assist Polish businesses with market entry services, consultation, legal assistance, partner matching and economic missions. It will also serve Indonesian companies that are willing to expand to Poland. There will be a co-working space and a meeting room available at its premises.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the World Economic Forum in Davos

There is a number of “made in Poland” products and solutions that can prove useful for the inhabitants of the archipelago. Further development of cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, shipbuilding, transportation, energy, healthcare or agriculture would be very beneficial to both sides. Food imports from Poland seem to have a lot to offer the Indonesian consumer, too. In Indonesia there is a high demand for foodstuffs such as apples, pears and berries but also dairy products, meat, especially beef, and cereal products. Being a member of the European Union and an Eastern European country at the same time, Poland delivers products of the greatest standards and quality, yet produced at an optimized cost.

At the beginning of 2016, the Indonesian Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services approved Poland as an eligible country to export dairy products to Indonesia. As dairy consumption in Indonesia steadily grows, the cooperation in this sector appears to be promising. Government arrangements are ongoing and other approvals are hopefully going to be granted in the near future, with Polish apples and beef being the most sought-after.

When the Poles and Indonesians struck their first business deals, Lech Wałęsa was yet to lead the Solidarity movement. The most renowned Pole in Indonesia, Robert Lewandowski, was not born yet. Neither was Indonesian football star playing in Poland Egy Mualana Vikri. Today, the businesspeople from both countries can enjoy the best environment ever to create wealth and a good trade history. Our governments are ready to support them. Are they capable of seizing the opportunity?

Polish tall ship Dar Młodzieży in Jakarta.

______________________________

Jacek Kołomyjec
Director of the Polish Investment and Trade Office in Jakarta
jacek.kolomyjec@paih.gov.pl
https://indonesia.trade.gov.pl/en/