"Indonesia is the EU`s second largest investment destination and already hosts more than 700 EU companies employing a total of 500,000 workers, ` Dirk Meganck said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The European Union (EU) has extended a grant worth 12.5 million Euros to Indonesia to enable a number of relevant government ministries and agencies to improve the country`s trade and investment climate, a Finance Ministry official said.

"The grant will be used to enable a number of government ministries and agencies to improve the trade and investment climate in Indonesia, especially by upgrading their ability to formulate constructive policies," Waluyanto, director general of debt management at the Finance Ministry, said here Friday.

Speaking to the press after a ceremony marking the signing of an EU-Indonesia Trade Cooperation Facility (TCF) treaty, he said the funds would be used to finance training courses for employees of government ministries and agencies to improve their ability to draw up or design good policies on trade and investment.

The training courses would focus on four areas of policy making , namely trade and investment, facilitation of investment and intellectual property rights, energy planning and efficiency, and technological innovation, Waluyanto said.

The training courses would be held particularly for employees of the following government ministries and agencies ; the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources , State Ministry of Research and Technology, Technology Assessment and Application Center (BPPT), and National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

"Bappenas employees will be given top priority," he said

Meanwhile, Dirk Meganck. a senior European Union official, who attended the signing of the EU-Indonesia Trade Cooperation Facility treaty, said Indonesia was the right country for European businessmen to invest in.

"Indonesia is the EU`s second largest investment destination and already hosts more than 700 EU companies employing a total of 500,000 workers, ` Dirk Meganck said.

The TCF Program was part of a comprehensive strategy to promote cooperation in fair trade between Indonesia and the European Union, Merganck said.

In its bilateral cooperation with Indonesia, the EU had since 2001 extended grants valued at a total of 186.5 million Euros to fund some 24 programs.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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