Interview with Mangasi Sihombing, Former Indonesian Ambassador to Hungary
- 18 Mar 2007 5:42 AM
"Where do you see prospects for growth in Hungarian-Indonesian trade relations? I can say that we produce commodities of prime quality at very competitive prices, so we see an opportunity to expand the Indonesian market here.
But on the other hand, income per capita is still higher in Hungary than in Indonesia. We see opportunities for Hungary to invest more in Indonesian energy, agriculture and so forth.
What are the main types of Hungarian investment in Indonesia?
I’ve been talking with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences as well as companies here. They want to invest in the facilities for burning communal waste. I sent a message to Jakarta to find suitable partners for them to establish a site for this as a joint venture in Indonesia.
All our big cities like Jakarta, Bandung, the capital of West Java, and Batam, the industrial site in Sumatra, need very good waste management. We need more power plants. Most of our industry now is concentrated on Java Island and Sumatra. These two islands have problems with sources of power, so we would like to encourage Hungarians to seize the opportunity to invest in this area. Foreign investments in agriculture and mining are also welcomed.
What is the aim of the Indonesian event starting on 23 March? What type of products will be presented?
AsiaCenter Budapest now has a partner in Indonesia with a relationship inaugurated around six months ago. The task is for the two to collaborate, to explore possibilities in marketing products. Between 23 and 26 March we would like to celebrate the first anniversary of the Indonesian pavilion in the AsiaCenter Budapest.
Until now the pavilion has only been used by Hungarian importers, but now we would like to invite Indonesian exporters to display samples of their goods and give them the chance to meet their counterparts and make deals. There will be some new items, in particular jewellry with semi-precious gems, furniture, tyres, cosmetics, garments, footwear and other products.
Are there any plans to establish a direct flight link between Jakarta and Budapest?
Not yet. In the future there is always a possibility, but at the moment we have a problem with our own national carrier. Recently it stopped flying to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London. But if there is cooperation between Malév of Hungary and the Indonesian Garuda, then why not? We have to study the possibilities of working together with Malév.
How important is Indonesia for Hungarian tourism?
We see some visitors from Hungary in Indonesia, but we would like to welcome Hungarians not only as tourists but also to invest in tourism. For example, there used to be very little Spanish investment in Indonesia’s tourism sector, but today after 15 to 20 years Spain now has around 20 good hotels in Indonesia. So why don’t Hungarians seize such opportunities?
And what about the security situation following the Bali bombings?
The acts of terror by narrow-minded people were a long time ago. Our security is now among the best in South-East Asia. We worked very hard to arrest these terrorists. They have been brought to court, put in jail and some are even awaiting execution, so the country is very stable.
Tourists are coming back, the hotel occupancy rate in Bali is around 80% of what it was earlier, and international conferences have been held in Bali. But we mustn’t forget that there are also many other tourist destinations in Indonesia such as north and west Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
Mangasi Sihombing was born in north Sumatra in 1947. His postings have included Counsellor for Cultural, Social and Information Affairs at the Embassy in Moscow between 1988 and 1990 and later as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Canberra from 2000-2002. He has also participated in numerous international conferences around the world. In 2003 he was awarded the Gold Medal for 30 years of meritorious service. He is married with two children."
Source: The Budapest Times
What are the main types of Hungarian investment in Indonesia?
I’ve been talking with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences as well as companies here. They want to invest in the facilities for burning communal waste. I sent a message to Jakarta to find suitable partners for them to establish a site for this as a joint venture in Indonesia.
All our big cities like Jakarta, Bandung, the capital of West Java, and Batam, the industrial site in Sumatra, need very good waste management. We need more power plants. Most of our industry now is concentrated on Java Island and Sumatra. These two islands have problems with sources of power, so we would like to encourage Hungarians to seize the opportunity to invest in this area. Foreign investments in agriculture and mining are also welcomed.
What is the aim of the Indonesian event starting on 23 March? What type of products will be presented?
AsiaCenter Budapest now has a partner in Indonesia with a relationship inaugurated around six months ago. The task is for the two to collaborate, to explore possibilities in marketing products. Between 23 and 26 March we would like to celebrate the first anniversary of the Indonesian pavilion in the AsiaCenter Budapest.
Until now the pavilion has only been used by Hungarian importers, but now we would like to invite Indonesian exporters to display samples of their goods and give them the chance to meet their counterparts and make deals. There will be some new items, in particular jewellry with semi-precious gems, furniture, tyres, cosmetics, garments, footwear and other products.
Are there any plans to establish a direct flight link between Jakarta and Budapest?
Not yet. In the future there is always a possibility, but at the moment we have a problem with our own national carrier. Recently it stopped flying to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London. But if there is cooperation between Malév of Hungary and the Indonesian Garuda, then why not? We have to study the possibilities of working together with Malév.
How important is Indonesia for Hungarian tourism?
We see some visitors from Hungary in Indonesia, but we would like to welcome Hungarians not only as tourists but also to invest in tourism. For example, there used to be very little Spanish investment in Indonesia’s tourism sector, but today after 15 to 20 years Spain now has around 20 good hotels in Indonesia. So why don’t Hungarians seize such opportunities?
And what about the security situation following the Bali bombings?
The acts of terror by narrow-minded people were a long time ago. Our security is now among the best in South-East Asia. We worked very hard to arrest these terrorists. They have been brought to court, put in jail and some are even awaiting execution, so the country is very stable.
Tourists are coming back, the hotel occupancy rate in Bali is around 80% of what it was earlier, and international conferences have been held in Bali. But we mustn’t forget that there are also many other tourist destinations in Indonesia such as north and west Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
Mangasi Sihombing was born in north Sumatra in 1947. His postings have included Counsellor for Cultural, Social and Information Affairs at the Embassy in Moscow between 1988 and 1990 and later as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Canberra from 2000-2002. He has also participated in numerous international conferences around the world. In 2003 he was awarded the Gold Medal for 30 years of meritorious service. He is married with two children."
Source: The Budapest Times
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