Crisis 'won't affect' Dutch aid for RI

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 11/11/2008 10:55 AM  

Despite being hit by the global financial crisis, the Netherlands will maintain its development aid and investment in Indonesia at current levels, visiting Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Maria van der Hoeven said here Monday. 

Indonesia is the largest recipient of Dutch development aid globally. Some 108 million euros worth of Dutch aid have already been channeled to Indonesia this year. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin, van der Hoeven gave assurances Dutch aid to Indonesia would not be affected by the present crisis. 

She visited the office of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic organization, for a dialogue with Muslim leaders to discuss economic cooperation. 

Din expressed hope that businesspeople from Muhammadiyah would cooperate with Dutch investors in several sectors, to allow them to grow and compete internationally. 

Van der Hoeven said although her government would have to revise the Netherlands' economic growth target to close to zero from the initial 1.25 percent, Dutch companies would continue putting their money in Indonesia. 

"(Dutch) investment in Indonesia is OK," she said. 

"I would like to see it grow because it is important that Dutch investors invest in Indonesia, and if possible, Indonesian businesspeople invest in the Netherlands." 

Van der Hoeven, in Indonesia on a business mission with an entourage of 20 Dutch businesspeople from various sectors, said Dutch investors would focus on forging cooperation in the energy, geothermal, biofuel and water management sectors. 

She opened a two-week Dutch cultural festival at the Shangri-La Hotel earlier in the day before addressing a seminar and business forum during the festival. The minister will leave for East Java on Wednesday to monitor projects financed by the Dutch government. 

The Netherlands is the fifth largest investor in Indonesia, with 838 million euros (US$1 billion) invested in several projects in 2005. Around 100 Dutch companies operate in Indonesia. 

In addition, some 2,700 Dutch companies have trade links to Indonesia, data from the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta shows. Most are importers of Indonesian-made goods. 

Bilateral trade in 2006 was valued at more than 2 billion euros, up from 1.84 billion euros in 2005, with Indonesia exporting three times as much to the Netherlands as it imported from there.

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