Terror: Indonesia has experiences Nigeria can learn from – Ambassador Haseng

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The Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, Surdiman Haseng, speaks, in this interview, how his nation is collaborating with his host-country in a mutually benefitting manner. Excerpts:

What is the state of relations between Nigeria and Indonesia?

Since the diplomatic relations were established in 1965, Nigeria and Indonesia have enjoyed warm relations based on mutual respect and understanding. Both countries are members of multilateral organizations such as the Non-Aligned Movement, World Trade Organization (WTO), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Developing 8 Countries.

What is the volume of trade between Nigeria and Indonesia?

Bilateral trade between the two emerging economies reached US$2.1 billion in 2011and, during the January-October period last year, it totalled $2.7 billion. The trade volume is expected to reach $5 billion by 2015. Both countries would work together to double the trade volume by 2015. Nigeria and Indonesia will come up with strategic and implementable action plans to ensure that both countries leverage the cordial bilateral trade relationship to boost trade and increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Just this February, Nigeria – Indonesia bilateral trade meeting and business luncheon was held in Abuja.

*Ambassador Haseng

What areas of improvement is the Indonesian government looking at in its relations with Nigeria at the moment?

We are looking for improvement in cooperation in economic fields such as trade, investment, agriculture, aviation and services, education, politics, defence and security cooperation.

What is the volume of Foreign Direct Investment from Indonesia to Nigeria in the last three years?

Nigeria has become a destination for investment from Indonesia with around 11 local firms having already entered certain sectors such as food and beverage, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

In what way can Indonesia assist Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, given its very successful history of combating terrorism?

Indonesia has shown the best practices in its efforts to combat terrorism and has developed cooperation with many countries, including through tripartite agreements. Indonesia’s success story in combating terrorism has and shall always remain a strong point of Indonesian foreign policy. The country’s efforts to tackle acts of terror since the year 2000 – when three bombs wreaked havoc on Jakarta, followed by other bombings in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 – mean the Indonesian authorities have ample experiences as they continue their efforts to find and bring to justice those responsible for the Marriott-Ritz bombs, while meanwhile ensuring the situation returns to normal. The strategy of law enforcement in combating terrorism in Indonesia puts the police in the frontline of the anti-terrorism operations. The roles of the police have been enhanced through the establishment of the Special Detachment 88 anti-terrorism unit. Keeping on the progress,

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued regulation No. 46/2010 on the establishment of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) as coordinator of all country’s legal instruments: the police, the prosecutors, the courts, the imprisonment system. Indonesian Military (TNI) has been participating as well in the process, especially in collecting, providing, and exchanging intelligence information with other legal instruments.

What lessons can Nigeria learn from Indonesia in its bid to industrialize?

Indonesia has the largest economy in south-east Asia and is one of the emerging market economies of the world. The country is also a member of G-20 major economies and classified as a newly industrialized country. It has a market economy in which the government plays a significant role through ownership of state-owned enterprises (the central government owns more than 160 enterprises) and the administration of prices of a range of basic goods including fuel, rice, and electricity.

In the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis that began in mid-1997, the government took custody of a significant portion of private sector assets through acquisition of non-performing bank loans and corporate assets through the debt restructuring process. Since 2004, the economy has recovered and growth has accelerated to over 6% in recent years.

What is the major agricultural export of Indonesia and how can Nigeria benefit from the Indonesian experience in boosting agricultural production?

The Indonesian government is still weighing the offer from the Nigerian government to develop agricultural businesses in the West African country. The study of the investment would continue. I cannot yet disclose what kinds of plantations would be developed, and how much investment would be needed to meet the Nigerian government’s offer.

Investing in Nigeria’s agricultural sector should be part of a bilateral trade cooperation agreement with Indonesia, which could include the lowering of import tariffs and cuts in tax and trade barriers. Nigeria has offered 4 million hectares of land to Indonesia which could be used for crude palm oil or other plantations. Developing a crude palm oil plantation in the country will be quite promising given the country’s high demand for cooking oil.

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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