Anton Atong Sugandhi
SYDNEY AUSTRALIA - RI DPD Chair AA LaNyalla Mahmud Mattalitti said the economic relations between Australia and Indonesia would be stronger and have an impact on the people of both countries if it involved MSME actors (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) with a cooperation and strategic partnership scheme. This was stated by LaNyalla in a meeting with the Minister of Industry and Trade of New South Wales, Australia, Anoulack Chanthivong in Sydney, Tuesday (02/05/2023).
In September 2015, Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb visited Jakarta with 350 large businessmen to partner with Indonesia. But they deal with big companies, so they don't involve more than 60 million small and micro business units scattered in various districts/cities in Indonesia. "Right now what we need is to empower small and micro businesses in various regencies/cities, so that many jobs can be created and the gap can be narrowed. This is part of efforts to create economic democracy that we are advocating for in DPD RI, " said LaNyalla .
"Hopefully the Australian government can push economic policies in that direction to help create a just economic democracy for people in Indonesian regions, which will also benefit Australian investors and business people, " he added.
LaNyalla added that an increasingly prosperous and socio-economically stable Indonesia would be beneficial for Australia's stability. Vice versa, if social and economic stability is disrupted, it could affect Australia as well.
Responding to this statement, Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said he agreed with LaNyalla. That bilateral economic cooperation must be inclusive, in order to take advantage of all the potential that can be developed, because Australia and Indonesia must grow together as two neighboring countries that support, complement and need each other.
LaNyalla commented that the economic potential in various regions in Indonesia needs to be developed as part of efforts to bring about economic democracy which is currently being advocated by the DPD RI.
Minister Anoulack who represented NSW Premier Chris Minns in receiving the visit of the RI DPD delegation explained that his government would continue to maintain good relations with Indonesia as Australia's biggest friend and neighbor.
"Not only because Indonesia has a population of 280 million, but more than that because Indonesia's role is very important for the stability of the ASEAN and South Pacific regions, " he said.
LaNyalla said that neighboring countries should not be influenced by such an adage, because Indonesia and Australia can form a group of common interests, live side by side in peace, harmony and support each other.
For this reason, said LaNyalla, Australia should not allow political maneuvers aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia. Including those aimed at separating the Land of Papua from Indonesia.
LaNyalla also reminded the Australian government that the future of bilateral relations between the two countries is in the hands of the younger generation. But, while more than 14, 000 Indonesian students are studying in Australia while learning the culture of this country, it turns out that too few young Australians are studying Indonesian culture.
"This inequality needs to be corrected so that in the future, the leaders of the two countries can understand each other's culture so as to prevent shocks and tensions in relations between the two countries, " said LaNyalla.
For this reason, the Chairman of the DPD RI encourages the Australian government to increase cross-cultural communication and interaction with Indonesia. Not only through education, but also through arts, sports and other activities.
During a visit to the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Sydney, the Chairman of the DPD RI was accompanied by the Indonesian Consul General for New South Wales, Vedi Kurnia Buana, Senator Bustami Zainudin (Lampung), Senator Andi Muhammad Ihsan (South Sulawesi), Indonesian Diaspora figure in Australia Ikhsan Zakir , as well as the Head of the RI DPD Leadership Secretariat Bureau, Sanherif Hutagaol. (***)
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