Following is the full text of the interview.
Q: APEC member economies are attempting to
liberalise and open trade, investment, accelerate regional economic
integration, encourage economic and technical cooperation, and promote the
formation of a good and suitable business environment. How do you assess this
process?
A: APEC has gone a long way since its
inception, and APEC member economies have been able to make substantial
progress in many areas. For nearly three decades, APEC has contributed to
sustaining growth and advancing economic integration in the Asia-Pacific
region, created millions of jobs and lifted hundreds of millions out of
poverty.
One of the main drivers of such
progress is the “Bogor Goals” of free and open trade and investment in the
Asia-Pacific, adopted by APEC Leaders when Indonesia hosted and chaired APEC
1994.
Since then, the Bogor Goals have
inspired Member Economies in their pursuit for sustainable development and
equitable growth. This is done through policies which are aimed at enhancing
trade and investment flows through economic openness.
Some of the progress towards the Bogor
Goals are:
Tariff rates are much lower relative to
that in the 1990s.The number of Regional Trade Agreements/Free Trade Agreements
(RTAs/FTAs) inforce has soared since early 2000s. Many sectors are more
accessible to foreign investment and services trade thanbefore.Indicators on
trade and investment facilitation have improved over time. Living standards
have improved. Enrollment in tertiary education
has increased significantly. Access to electricity has
expanded. Poverty has fallen significantly.
Certainly, there is still more work
that APEC Economies can do to improve existing trade and investment conditions,
as progress has been uneven across the region, while inequality and
unemployment persist.
In general, APEC has been advancing
towards the right direction, as trade and investment openness has been
accompanied by socioeconomic improvements within the region.
Q: Do you assess the
challenges APEC members will have to face to achieve their goals of promoting
sustainable and prosperous economic growth in the Asia – Pacific region?
A: We live at a time when the regional and
global landscapes have experienced complex and fundamental shifts, as well as
far-reaching challenges. For example, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and advancements in technology have been altering our nature of work. They are
transforming our societies and the way we connect and interact.
We also note that although the regional
and global economic recovery is on a firmer footing, the medium and long-term
risks are skewed to the downside. APEC economies, as well the global economies,
are encountering intertwined and multi-dimensional issues.
Another challenge is the impact of
globalisation. While deepening globalisation and expanding trade and investment
have brought unprecedented prosperity in the Asia Pacific region, not all
groups and individuals have benefited equally from this process.
These are the “unfinished business” we
need to address. With the Bogor Goals expiring in merely three years, we need
to accelerate our efforts towards the achievement of the targets, as well
prepare ourselves beyond the Bogor Goals.
In this regard, I expect that the
upcoming APEC Summit in Vietnam will adopt the “post-2020 Vision”, which will
guide APEC’s future directions and assert its leadership in addressing common
challenges.
Q: How does Indonesia assess Vietnam’s
initiatives and role in the forum as well as Vietnam’s hosting of the
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum 2017 (APEC)?
A: Indonesia supports APEC Vietnam 2017
priorities under the theme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”.
The priorities are very much related to the ongoing and emerging challenges
today, as well as to APEC’s works to promote growth and regional economic
integration.
For example, the priority of “promoting
sustainable, innovative, and inclusive growth” is crucial for APEC, as we need
to address challenges such as persistent inequality and unemployment, enduring
multi-dimensional poverty, and the impacts of technological progress. Vietnam’s initiative to launch the “Action Agenda on Advancing Economic, Financial,
and Social Inclusion in the APEC Region” is very much in line with this
important priority.
Vietnam has thus far successfully
played its leadership role in promoting other important initiatives, such as
those on human resources development in the digital age; the strategy for
green, sustainable and innovative MSMEs; and on promoting innovative start-ups.
Indonesia commends and supports these timely initiatives. We see them as
crucial parts of APEC’s works in addressing today’s challenges.
Vietnam’s APEC 2017 priorities are
also closely related to Indonesia’s. This year, Indonesia is focusing on the
issues of promoting the agenda of rural development and poverty alleviation,
fostering maritime cooperation, improving connectivity, and strengthening the
micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Vietnam as Chair and Host
Economy has done its best to accomodate our interests and priorities during the
deliberations this year.
As we are getting closer to the Summit,
we stand ready to work collaboratively with Vietnam and other Economies in
realising a successful APEC year.-VNA