HOUSE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN DISAPPOINTED OVER ACFTA RENEGOTIATIONS

Jakarta, Apr 5 (ANTARA) - The chairman of the House of Representatives Commission VI, Airlangga Hartarto, said he was disappointed by Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu's statement that Indonesia would fully implement the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

"Mari Elka Pangestu made the statement without considering proposals from the House of Representatives and industrial communities," he said at the parliament building here on Monday.

He said the trade minister had failed in her renegotiation with the Chinese trade minister at their meeting in Yogyakarta on Saturday and therefore declared that Indonesia would fully implement the agreement.

He said the industrial communities meanwhile through the House of Representatives had asked for the government to renegotiate 228 tariff objects to protect the country's industrial products which still have small competitive power.

Airlangga said based on the ACFTA giving compensations is justified but the total compensations that China would give to Indonesia is not significant to make it able to be considered increasing capacity.

"The capacity boosting program cannot be represented by exhibitions in China," he said.

Airlangga asked the government to make a clear concept and program so that the country's industrial products could win the competition under the ACFTA.

He said the task of renegotiating with the Chinese government was not the task of the minister of trade only but also that of other ministers concerned with economic affairs as well as other institutions including the House of Representatives.

"The agreement that has been made by the trade minister is impressing as a bilateral trade agreement while the ACFTA is a multilateral agreement," he said.

He said the Commission VI would invite the trade minister to the House to ask for her explanation about the agreement and her statement that Indonesia will fully implement the ACFTA.

He said it would also invite other ministers concerned with economic affairs to jointly explain the development of the ACFTA renegotiations.