We have to work hard to ascertain that our service sector will have competitiveness in facing other countries."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesias trade service sector is not yet ready to face the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, Deputy Minister for Trade Affairs Bayu Krisnamurthi stated.
"Indonesia has completed only 83 percent of its preparations to face the AEC. In less than one year, we have to finish the remaining 17 percent preparations," the deputy minister of trade said in a seminar on integrated payment system in the AEC here.
He said that of the 17 percent, the service trade sector still had to be prepared well. "We have to work hard to ascertain that our service sector will have competitiveness in facing other countries," he added.
Bayu pointed out that the deficit of the countrys trade balance in the service sector was still too big. As an example, he said, the countrys export of transportation service in 2012 stood at 3.8 billion US dollars while its import of the same product in the same period was 12.5 billion US dollars.
He therefore stressed that the deficit figure should become the focus of attention because among the challenges in the face of the AEC was how to handle deficit in the service trade sector.
Regardless of the fact, Bayu convincingly said Indonesias target remained the same as that previously set namely achieving 100 percent preparations before the AEC became effective in 2015.
"We face different and complex challenges so that we should conduct coordination," he noted.
One of the technical efforts that should be made according to Bayu is producing standardizations and certifications, particularly with regard to profession and services.
(Uu.A014/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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