"There is nothing wrong with the AEC..."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Former Indonesian Vice President M Jusuf Kalla has asked the country`s businessmen not to worry too much ahead of the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 saying that the challenge is from home.
"Young entrepreneurs must think positively and must never worry with the implementation of the AEC concept," he said at an Indonesian Young Leaders Forum II event here on Thursday.
Kalla who is also a businessman said AEC is a must and a part of the regional economic system.
"There is nothing wrong with the AEC but what is important is how to make all stakeholders have strong competitiveness," he said.
He said many people have so far thought that following the establishment AEC foreign workers would flow into the country and foreign products would dominate the country`s market.
"This is wrong. Even more Indonesian workers would go to countries with good economic conditions such as Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam," he said.
Goods and services would not fully move to Indonesia because almost 95 percent of them would be zero percent taxed boosting equilibrium in each country, he said.
So, he said, the development of national industries would not be boosted by Singapore, Malaysia or other countries but by industrialists` capability in increasing their capacity and competitiveness of their products.
Before around 600 young entrepreneurs Kalla advised "if you what to be businessmen be good businessmen. Be focused. Do not become a businessman now to only stop later."
He admitted many businessmen had turned to be politicians after becoming successful.
"This is not a problem. Being a politician is and being a businessman is also good. What is not good is trading politics," he said.
(T.R017/Uu.H-YH/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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