"They are professional workers. There are no problems, and even if they are there, they are easily solved," Haseng informed Antara on the sidelines of the Mission of Selling 10 Top Indonesian Destinations at the Raffles Hotel le Royal Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday (Oct 12) night.
He said that currently, based on the registration results of the 2019 Election, the number of Indonesian citizens in Cambodia reaches as many as 3,100.
"We estimate the total number of Indonesian citizens here is some 3,500 people," he noted.
He stated that in order to promote Indonesia in Cambodia, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh had opened an Indonesian language school with Cambodian participants.
"Many want to learn Indonesian. There are Indonesian language schools here. Even now, two to three universities are interested in reopening the Indonesian language department. They are demanding for an Indonesian language program on campus," he revealed.
According to Haseng, the Indonesian language program will serve to indirectly promote Indonesia in Cambodia.
"It is indirectly a promotion since if you already know the Indonesian language and culture, you will definitely want to go there. Hence, tourists from here hold high potential," he stated.
In terms of state relations, he confirmed no obstacles existed, and the main objective was to make the optimal use of the smooth and strong relations between both nations.
According to Haseng, Cambodians also have the keenness to travel abroad to sample the culinary specialties in other countries.
"We, in Indonesia, also have several culinary variations that can be offered to tourists from Cambodia," he stated.
In addition to culinary explorations, he stated that Cambodians are currently opting for honeymoon packages, and pre-wedding tourism is trending. They are currently looking for charter flights to Indonesia, especially Bali.
He noted that the trade balance between both nations currently registered a surplus for Indonesia.
Indonesia`s export value to Cambodia reached around US$500 million, while Cambodia`s export value to Indonesia was not more than $50 million.
"Our investors are also quite a lot, including pharmaceutical, consumption products, property, and entertainment services," he stated.
According to Haseng, Cambodia`s economy holds high prospects, with economic growth in the past few years reaching seven percent.
"They provide facilities to foreign investors, who invest here. This is the target of many countries, including China, which have a lot of money," he stated.
He noted that the use of real local currency and the US dollar simultaneously had also encouraged economic development in Cambodia.
"The use of US dollars and local currencies is the same. It is not difficult to conduct transactions here," Haseng added.
Reporting by Agus Salim
(E002/A/INE)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/C/F001) 13-10-2018 12:32:39
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Eliswan Azly
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
