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Business forum planned for Tanzania, Indonesia traders
Indonesia capital Jakarta
What you need to know:
- Indonesian top official said his country was now focusing on closer ties with the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc)
Jakarta. A business forum is planned between Tanzania and Indonesia ahead of the national leader's visit to the Southeast Asian country later this year.
This was confirmed by Tanzania's ambassador to Jakarta, Mr Macocha Moshe Tembele, during a meeting with a media team from home which was here for the just-ended International Trade Expo.
The event attracted participants from across the world, including a handful of Tanzanian businessmen seeking opportunities, notably in spices (cloves) and edible oil trade and investments.
Mr Tembele said the forum will be held along similar lines to the one which took place recently during a state visit to India by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
He mentioned that time has come for the old relations between Tanzania and Indonesia, dating back to the 1960's, to be translated into strong economic cooperation.
"Indonesia is fastly industrialising. Let's pick up on the momentum," he pointed out, noting that the opening of Tanzania's diplomatic mission in Jakarta should spur closer cooperation.
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia visited Tanzania in August this year during which several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with the host country, spanning several sectors of the economy, including agriculture, livestock, fisheries, energy, minerals, and tourism.
At the current growth rate, Indonesia is projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be the fifth largest economy in the world by 2050. Its current GDP is estimated to be $1.3 trillion.
According to the Indonesian ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Try Yogo Jatmiko.Tanzanian exports to the Far East country averaged $50 to $60 million in 2021 and 2022 while the latter's exports to Tanzania dropped slightly from $380 million in 2021 to $360 million last year.
The director of Indesso, an Indonesian company manufacturing a range of spices and other nature-based ingredients, Mr Arianto Mulyadi, said priority in picking businessmen from Tanzania to the planned forum in Jakarta should be given to members of the business community from Zanzibar.
He called for increased awareness of clove farmers in Zanzibar and other regions in the Tanzania Mainland on the missed opportunities in the clove market in Indonesia, the world's largest producer and exporter of clove by products.
Speaking to the Tanzanian media, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs ministry official said her country was now focused on closer cooperation with the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc).
The director of African Affairs at the Foreign ministry, Ms Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, said Indonesia has reached out to the EAC for full accreditation through its embassy in Dar es Salaam from next year.
"With Tanzania, we have to promote digital cooperation. This area has to be promoted given the growing number of the young generation," she explained.
