The officials of Norway and Indonesia have decided to expand their sectoral economic collaboration, including through the 2018 Indonesia-European Free Trade Association Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Indonesia-EFTA CEPA). The agreement was made during a recent discussion between Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Erling Rimestad and Dida Gardera, Expert Staff on Connectivity, Service Development, and Natural Resources for the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs.
In a written statement on Sunday, Gardera stated, “We promise to continue enhancing the implementation of the agreement, including by arranging marketing activities for local partners to boost trade and business collaboration.”
The application of digital commerce was one of the elements of collaboration that were explicitly addressed at the conference. This is aligned with Indonesia’s efforts to support digital transformation.
The Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC) on Climate Change and the National Middle-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) were two documents that are pledged to support during the two nations’ discussions on sustainable commerce and development.
“The most important thing is that Indonesia’s legal products support sustainable development issues, including a carbon tax in Law No. 7 of 2021 on Tax Regulation Harmonisation and Law No. 4 of 2021 on Financial Sector Development and Enhancement,” Gardera said.
The two parties also discussed the halal certification laws, which may impact Norwegian shipments. In reaction, Gardera stated that Indonesia is presently experiencing policy reform, which includes modifications to the halal accreditation process.
Check out the details on the Agreement here
The official from the ministry said, “We also review the most recent legislation on a comprehensive test on transparency and human rights elements of a business process in Norway, as Indonesia is currently creating a policy of business management and human rights.
The conference also covered problems related to palm oil, carbon trade, and foreign trade agreements (FTAs) between Indonesia and Norway. These topics were mostly related to the agricultural and marine industries, especially in shipping and transportation.
The Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Indonesia-EU CEPA), which entered its 13th round of negotiations in February and is anticipated to be finished later this year, and the ongoing Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) negotiations in Bali are other topics of conversation between Indonesia and Norway.
Both parties decided to keep improving communication to handle shared problems after the conference.
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