KARACHI:
More than 10 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements are likely to be signed between the two brotherly countries Indonesia and Pakistan soon, according to well-placed diplomatic and Foreign Office sources.
Both sides will also engage in talks to make progress on a free trade agreement (FTA) to further strengthen economic ties.
When it comes to high-potential sectors for trade growth, Pakistan may focus on processed food, pharmaceuticals, IT services and halal meat while consumer electronics, auto parts and processed palm-based products are far better in Indonesia.
In 2023, Pakistan exported goods worth approximately $328.16 million to Indonesia. Indonesia’s exports to Pakistan were valued at around $3.03 billion. Indonesia produces nearly half of the world’s refined nickel and two-thirds of the mined nickel; therefore, it intends to achieve a more prominent place in the world’s electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.
The Southeast Asian nation is striving hard to capture and discover new markets in Asia and Central Asia, especially for lithium batteries and EVs.
Heavy reliance of Indonesia on nickel for batteries due to its vast nickel reserves provides it a comparative advantage in terms of consumer affordability, durability, better thermal stability and higher energy density. Thus, a joint venture for lithium batteries would be a value addition for both countries.
Moreover, Indonesia’s EV economy is rapidly emerging, which has healthy and bright prospects, qualifying it to become a global leader in EV production.
“Most of the Indonesian EV makers are private companies, which should be a comfort zone for us to have mutually benefitting joint ventures in the days to come,” economic strategist and regional expert Dr Mehmoodul Hassan Khan said.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was scheduled to embark on his maiden official visit to Pakistan from January 26 to 28. It has been delayed and will be rescheduled soon.
It is predicted that collaboration in education, health care, information technology, tourism, energy and food, and military ties will be discussed and finalised during the expected visit.
Indonesia is among the “leading” trading partners of Pakistan. It is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is a diverse archipelago nation of more than 300 ethnic groups. It has had constant impressive economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.
“Indonesia’s macro-economy is stable, sustainable and diversified, which can assist us in diverse sectors of the economy including textile, Islamic fashion products, Islamic tourism, Islamic banking, startups, metal & mining, education, biodiesel, renewables, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), digitalisation, e-commerce, engineering and biotech and palm oil production,” Khan said.
The imported palm oil waste may also be converted into finished products locally, could be used in agriculture, chicken feed, organic fertiliser, etc and contribute to the economy of local people, industries and businesses. Since edible oil constitutes the second-largest import bill in Pakistan after petroleum products, it is suggested that both countries must jointly work on growing palm oil trees to produce the fruit and edible oil locally, meet domestic demand and reduce over 90% dependency on other countries. Thus, indigenous production is the only sustainable solution.
The government with the help of Indonesian government must seriously focus on local palm oil plantations without delay in the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan. “Around one million metric tons of palm oil has been produced locally in Sindh and Punjab over the past two decades. We must work harder to boost the output. The coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan is highly suitable for producing palm oil,” Khan said.
