Director General for International Trade Affairs of the Ministry of Trade Iman Pambagyo said the two sides focused on eliminating constraints in the IP-PTA. "We are focusing on the existing PTA problems and are likely to increase the number of products in the agreement," Pambagyo said in a short message to ANTARA on Monday.
He added that after benefiting from the PTA cooperation scheme, the two sides will prepare a model to increase the PTA level to Trade in Goods Agreement or even to Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Both countries made the efforts to reinforce their trade and investment relations during the second Joint Commission meeting to review the I-P-PTA, which was held on Feb 16 and 17, 2017, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The two delegations discussed two important issues on obtaining bigger benefit from the IP-PTA and cooperation on trade and investment promotion.
Other issues discussed included Kinnow orange market access to Indonesia, disturbance of Indonesian oil palm products to Pakistan, Pakistans interest to supply Indonesia with white rice and Basmati rice, surgery equipment, and beef exports.
Indonesia raised the issue of high tariff on a number of Indonesian export products that it felt was too aggressive.
Since the imposition of the PTA in 2012, Indonesias exports to Pakistan increased sharply, while Pakistans exports to Indonesia declined.
Indonesias exports to Pakistan in 2015 stood at US$2 billion, while Pakistans exports to Indonesia were recorded at $174.5 million in the same year, a surplus of $1.8 billion in favor of Indonesia.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
