He told a press conference here on Friday that the trade balance between Indonesia and China continued to show negative trend in favor of China since the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
"The result of the joint commission, namely between Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and her Chinese counterpart Chen Deming, has not yet been followed up, it even tended to be ignored," Kamal said here on Friday.
He said that in the meeting in 2010, both reached a 7-point agreement in connection with the strategy on how to create ACFTA which could benefit the two sides.
It included the commitment to strengthen the Indonesia and Chinese trade, make the trade of the two sides balanced, and to provide credit funding support or soft loans to the sectors that become the attention of the two sides.
Besides they also agreed to set up a joint working group for two months to support infrastructure development and encourage business sectors that become the priority of the two countries.
But in fact, the commitment is still confined to promises only which have not yet been implemented.
"It has been one year today the meeting between the two trade ministers of the two countries in Yogyakarta has passed yet no working group which would monitor the development of the trade balance between the two countries has been established," he said.
He also questioned the realization of the soft loan support for the industrial sector.
(Uu.A014/HAJM/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
