❓ Ms Mettam questions the Premier about the absence of a full-time Trade and Investment Commissioner in Jakarta. The Premier responds, citing COVID-19 as the initial reason and highlighting ongoing engagement with Indonesia through other means.
AnsweredQoN 118Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INVESTMENT AND TRADE COMMISSIONER FOR ASEAN
118. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments about the vital
importance of Indonesia to strengthening the WA economy, especially regarding
critical minerals.
(1) Can the Premier confirm that it has now been over
three years since our state has had a full-time and in- country Trade and
Investment Commissioner based in Jakarta?
(2) Will the
Premier advise why the position of WA ASEAN trade commissioner remains vacant
after six months?
118. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments about the vital
importance of Indonesia to strengthening the WA economy, especially regarding
critical minerals.
(1) Can the Premier confirm that it has now been over
three years since our state has had a full-time and in- country Trade and
Investment Commissioner based in Jakarta?
(2) Will the
Premier advise why the position of WA ASEAN trade commissioner remains vacant
after six months?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
The reason that we have not had a full-time trade commissioner in Jakarta for
some time is a little thing that happened around 2020, which was called COVID.
Obviously, it was necessary to recall the trade commissioner. Upon reinstating the trade commissioner roles, we
installed the ASEAN trade commissioner into Singapore, because it was a safer
jurisdiction with the public health issues that were impacting on Jakarta at
the time. I do not know; that just strikes me as sensible, really.
Obviously, the reason we have
investment and trade officers in the ASEAN region is that the ASEAN region
remains an important market for all our industries and, in particular,
Indonesia. It has a population of around 260 million people, and it is
literally closer to us than Sydney. It represents a huge opportunity for us,
which is one of the reasons that I have engaged deeply with the Indonesian
trade interests and the reason that I took the largest delegation, trade
mission, to Indonesia last year, ever in the state's history.
We went to the ASEAN business
summit. There were 180 delegates from Australia at that conference, 80 of whom were from WA. We are taking very
seriously our relationship with Indonesia. That is why we continue to make sure
that we engage on every level, including the memorandum of understanding that we have with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which
explicitly talks about opportunities to develop our critical minerals
industries together. That will continue to be an important part of our work.
Currently, our acting ASEAN trade commissioner
is in Jakarta; Bryce Green is a fluent Indonesian speaker. He is a former
resident of Jakarta with deep relationships in that community at government and
industry levels. He is doing a great job on behalf of the people of Western Australia,
making sure that as part of our investment and trade network right around the
world, we continue to make sure that we put WA on the front line of all these
business and investment opportunities right across the globe. Indonesia is part
of that. That is why we have our people on the ground there today; they are not
only in Jakarta but also Singapore and right
across the entire region. Just last year, I opened a new office in Ho Chi Minh
City . We are continuing to expand our network, continuing to put Western
Australia first, and making sure that we are continuing to grow our invest and
trade opportunities.
The reason that we have not had a full-time trade commissioner in Jakarta for
some time is a little thing that happened around 2020, which was called COVID.
Obviously, it was necessary to recall the trade commissioner. Upon reinstating the trade commissioner roles, we
installed the ASEAN trade commissioner into Singapore, because it was a safer
jurisdiction with the public health issues that were impacting on Jakarta at
the time. I do not know; that just strikes me as sensible, really.
Obviously, the reason we have
investment and trade officers in the ASEAN region is that the ASEAN region
remains an important market for all our industries and, in particular,
Indonesia. It has a population of around 260 million people, and it is
literally closer to us than Sydney. It represents a huge opportunity for us,
which is one of the reasons that I have engaged deeply with the Indonesian
trade interests and the reason that I took the largest delegation, trade
mission, to Indonesia last year, ever in the state's history.
We went to the ASEAN business
summit. There were 180 delegates from Australia at that conference, 80 of whom were from WA. We are taking very
seriously our relationship with Indonesia. That is why we continue to make sure
that we engage on every level, including the memorandum of understanding that we have with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which
explicitly talks about opportunities to develop our critical minerals
industries together. That will continue to be an important part of our work.
Currently, our acting ASEAN trade commissioner
is in Jakarta; Bryce Green is a fluent Indonesian speaker. He is a former
resident of Jakarta with deep relationships in that community at government and
industry levels. He is doing a great job on behalf of the people of Western Australia,
making sure that as part of our investment and trade network right around the
world, we continue to make sure that we put WA on the front line of all these
business and investment opportunities right across the globe. Indonesia is part
of that. That is why we have our people on the ground there today; they are not
only in Jakarta but also Singapore and right
across the entire region. Just last year, I opened a new office in Ho Chi Minh
City . We are continuing to expand our network, continuing to put Western
Australia first, and making sure that we are continuing to grow our invest and
trade opportunities.
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