Jakarta - The Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Anindya Novyan Bakrie, has called for the strengthening of concrete cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands across several strategic sectors, including horticulture, water management, maritime affairs, and sustainable green projects.

Anindya, commonly known as Anin, conveyed this appeal during his remarks at the Indonesia-Netherlands Business Forum entitled “Indonesia and the Netherlands: Creating Partnerships for a Sustainable Future,” held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Central Jakarta, on Monday (June 16, 2025).

The forum brought together over 120 Dutch companies alongside their Indonesian counterparts.

Anin emphasized that the relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands is deeply rooted in history and has generated mutually beneficial outcomes.

This is reflected in the Netherlands’ position as the largest European investor in Indonesia, accounting for approximately 40 percent of total European Union foreign direct investment (FDI), as well as being the second largest trading partner from the region, with trade in goods exceeding 4.3 billion US dollars in 2023. However, Anin noted that these achievements are merely initial steps.

“Our agenda this week is to transform good intentions into tangible projects that improve people’s lives, strengthen our economies, and safeguard our planet,” Anin stated.

He also welcomed the progress in negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the European Union, which is expected to harmonize export tariffs and open investment opportunities in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, semiconductors, and critical minerals.

“We will eliminate tariffs on around 80% of Indonesia’s exports, ranging from palm oil, cocoa, coffee, textiles, food products to seafood, and open deeper investment in renewable energy, semiconductors, and critical minerals,” said Anin.

Anin further urged active involvement from the Dutch business community in developing a logistics certification system, enabling Indonesian products to meet sustainability and deforestation-free standards in the European market.

“Let us combine Dutch expertise in warehousing and supply chains with Indonesia’s scale to rapidly capture market share,” Anin encouraged.

As a concrete step, Anin revealed that Kadin will establish a matchmaking desk to bridge Dutch investors with various technical ministries such as the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), and Ministry of Health.

Kadin is also prepared to expedite local-level licensing processes and identify green projects ready for implementation, ranging from the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG), agri-hubs, to pilot projects for coastal resilience.

“Kadin is ready to establish a dedicated matchmaking desk to connect Dutch investors with project owners at Bapanas, Ministry of PUPR, Ministry of Health, and others,” Anin explained.

Moreover, Anin highlighted President Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious 80 billion US dollars project to construct a 700-kilometer giant seawall along the northern coast of Java Island.

“This is more than flood defense and land reclamation subsidies. It is an invitation to create Indonesia’s next global corridor. We know the Netherlands is a global leader in seawall construction, delta power plants, and infrastructure financing through public-private partnerships for over half a millennium. I am confident that cooperation on this project, which has also been discussed at the government-to-government level, could become a significant milestone,” Anin said.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Michiel Sweers, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Indonesia’s economic ambitions.

“We (Indonesia and the Netherlands) are two maritime nations that believe in trade, international cooperation, and tangible results. These sectors are also central to Indonesia’s ambition to achieve 8 percent economic growth within four years and become the world’s fifth-largest economy by 2045,” Sweers said.

He also expressed full support for Indonesia’s accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and offered technical assistance to ensure a smooth accession process.

“OECD membership will make Indonesia’s business climate more stable and attractive, which means more trade and investment opportunities between us,” he added.

The Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen, warmly welcomed Anin’s participation in the forum, viewing it as a sign of the Indonesian business sector’s readiness to forge closer partnerships with the Netherlands.

“We are very honored by Mr. Anin Bakrie’s presence. It shows that Indonesian companies are ready to collaborate with Dutch companies. This is our mission – to bring together 120 companies to cooperate, get to know each other, and invest in the future of Indonesia and the Netherlands,” Gerritsen emphasized.

As additional information, the Indonesia-Netherlands Business Forum also witnessed the signing of 23 memoranda of understanding, contracts, and other agreements worth over 800 million euros.

These agreements encompass cooperation between governments, between businesses and governments, and among business actors, including:

A Letter of Intent (LoI) for the development of coastal protection projects in Cirebon and Demak between the Ministry of PUPR and Invest International;

An LoI for the preparation and implementation of water treatment projects; and

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between PT Frisian Flag Indonesia, Invest International, and DFCD/SNV.

Throughout the week, the Dutch delegation is scheduled to participate in various business forums, matchmaking sessions with Indonesian partners, and site visits to coastal protection projects in Jakarta and Central Java, ports in Jakarta and Semarang, and sustainable food systems in West Java and North Sumatra.

The Indonesia-Netherlands Business Forum was also attended by Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Water Issues Retno Marsudi, as well as Kadin Indonesia’s Vice Chairman for Foreign Relations Bernardino M. Vega.