European Commission happy with Indonesian projects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Juan Casla, the program manager for European Union-Indonesian economic cooperation, said Friday that the EU-Indonesia Small Projects Facility Program, which was initiated in 2003, has been so successful to date that several more projects were planned for 2007.

"We have received continuous responses for a number of proposals and an increase in approvals for projects, which is very good and in line with our hopes," he said during the wrap-up session on projects selected under the 2004 third call for proposals.

A total of nine projects worth 907,023 euros (about US$1.1 million) were completed in the fourth quarter of 2005. They included the University of Indonesia (UI)'s "Economic Impact Study on Counterfeiting in Indonesia"; an Indonesia-Netherlands Association (INA)'s program titled "Promotional Website and Management Support for Export Design Handicraft and Interior Decoration Products"; and the Indonesian-French Chambers of Commerce and Industry's program titled "Capacity-Building in Indonesian Water Utilities".

The projects covered areas such as investment and the business climate, export marketing and promotion, and infrastructural development.

The UI study received a positive response from the government, and resulted in the establishment of the National Intellectual Property Rights Task Force, and more frequent raids on counterfeit products by the National Police and the Food and Drug Surveillance Agency.

The INA's website for handicraft producers resulted in the total volume of exports to Europe in this sector rising to 400,000 euros, while the IFCCI's water management training, workshops and pilot projects in four local-government water utilities -- in Makasar, Banjarmasin, Manado and Palembang -- resulted in a reduction in water leakage

The EU-Indonesia Small Projects Facility Program has provided grants amounting to 5.77 million euros and has approved 40 projects over the course of three years.

Thirteen projects from the fourth and fifth calls for proposals worth 2.32 million euros are still underway.

Six more projects, valued at 845,233 euros, were approved this month and are ready to start in January 2007. In line with policy, these projects will also receive initial funding of 80 percent of the total amount allocated, with the rest being disbursed at the end of the projects.

Jean Breteche, the EU's Ambassador here, said that after the completion of the 19 projects, new proposals would be announced by the end of 2007.

He added, "These projects are not huge but they are very efficient and to the point in helping economic development in Indonesia."