Relations between Indonesia and Africa have
always been strong and vibrant for decades. Indonesia has a legacy as the host
of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference which was aimed to build global solidarity in opposing colonialism and
seeking economic and cultural cooperation among newly independent
countries. The
conference shed light for the advancement of
cooperation between Asian and African nationsthrough initiatives
such as the Non – Alignment Movement and the 2005 New
Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP). Indonesiaremains consistent in its efforts to strengthen ties with Asian-African countries, as shown
through the Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary
of the Asian – African Conference in 2015 where delegates pledged commitments to building stronger, more
inclusive and sustainable cooperation.
Stepping forward from
these political and historical legacies, Indonesia has the ambition to
seriously improve economic relations with Africa.Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, the world’s
fourth most populous nation, the world’s 10th largest economy in terms of
purchasing power parity, and a member of the G-20. The average country’s
economic growth from 2007 - 2016 was 5.7%, the third highest in the G20.
Indonesia’s GDP is expected to expand continuously.
According
to Asian Nikkei and PwC reports, Indonesia is on track to become the world’s
fourth largest economy by 2050. To maintain its high economic growth, Indonesia
has made inroads in diversifying export bases to include more complex sectors.
In that context, Indonesian President
Joko Widodo has repeatedly urged Indonesian business sectors to expand
engagement with emerging countries, such as Africa,
including at the recent G20 Leaders’ Retreat in Hamburg, in which the President
stated Indonesia’s support for the G20 Africa Partnership and the achievement
of Agenda 2063 in Africa through Compact with Africa. The importance of economic partnership between African
countries and Indonesia is also highlighted within IORA cooperation to achieve
a sustainable and equitable growth for all.
Recent economic indicators have clearly shown Africa’s
potential. The economy of sub-Saharan Africa grew around 3.5% in 2016,
the second highest in the world after Asia. In 2020, according to IMF, Africa is the 2nd largest
continent that enjoys high growth of 4.3%.Furthermore, in terms of population, approximately 62%
of the African population is under 25 years-old, meaning that there will be an
abundant work force that can help increase Africa’s economic growth even higher. It is predicted that in 2034, Africa is
expected to have the world’s largest working-age population of 1.1 billion.
Currently, there is around a 330 million middle class population in
Africa that hasincreasingly stronger purchasing power. Reinforcing
the positive outlook for growth is a continuing rise in infrastructure
investment among African countries. Spending on infrastructure has doubled over
the past decade, and now stands at 3.5% of GDP.
Understanding these realities, Indonesia believes that it is a right time for Indonesia and Africa to strengthen economic cooperation. The 2016 trade exchange between Indonesia and
Africa reached USD 7.66 billion and there is still a lot of room for economic
potential among the two entities.
To realize all economic potential, it is
important to generate possible economic cooperation through a forum that targets all relevant
stakeholders, encompassing government, business and other private
sectors. In this connection, we would like to organize, “Indonesia-Africa
Forum” on 10 – 11 April
2018 in Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
Source:
http://iaf.kemlu.go.id/