Indonesia Issues Policies To Improve Economic Performance

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government has issued a number of policies to improve the country's economic performance and continue national economic structural reform.

"The first policy is tax allowance for companies investing in Indonesia, companies creating employment, companies that are export-oriented and companies that carry out research and development," the country's coordinating minister for economic affairs Sofyan Djalil said at a press conference at the presidential office here on Monday.

He said the government would also give a tax incentive to several shipyards and companies that manufacture agricultural equipment.

"We will also issue an anti-dumping policy by imposing a temporary anti-dumping tax and a temporary security import tax on imported products that are traded unfairly through dumping to protect domestic industries," he said.

Sofyan said that "this has long been discussed and fought by several industries and of course we would conduct a thorough study and impose the police selectively so that no industry is to be disrupted by the policy but the ultimate goal of preventing unfair trade which is banned by the WTO is achieved."

In the tourism sector the Indonesian government would starting in April give a free-visa facility to 30 new countries, the minister said. With the decision, he said, a total of 45 countries would enjoy the facility as soon as the policy is effective.

On mining and natural resources he said the Indonesian government would implement a Letter of Credit system policy for companies operating in coal, oil and gas and crude palm oil business. The minister said that the government would also encourage the improvement of the structure of domestic reassurance companies to boost growth in the sector.(WDY)