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The Asia Center management and Indonesian business
representatives signed an agreement last Friday, offering greater
access for Indonesian products in the Eastern European market.
With the signing of the agreement, the Asia Center management will
provide 415 square meters of space at no charge called the Indonesian
Resources Pavilion, which will be specifically dedicated to Indonesian
products.
"We firmly believe that the Asia Center will become a definitive
facility not only for the Hungarian but the European and Far Eastern
trading activities," Asia Center managing director Rudolf A. Riedl said.
The Asia Center itself is a business and trading complex in Budapest,
Hungary, made available specifically for retail and wholesale trade for
Asian products including those from Indonesia.
Riedl said that considering Hungary lies at the heart of Europe, the
Asia Center in the capital city Budapest could act as the gateway for
Indonesian products, especially for the eastern part of the continent.
With its accession to the European Union in 2004, Hungary became part
of a unified market with a free flow of goods. Those who are doing
business in the country may freely reach any other member state of the
EU and may enjoy additional advantages offered by Hungary, in terms of
cheap labor, favorable business environment as well as
business-friendly taxation system.
The building, which stands on 205,000 square meters of land, is the
largest building in Europe that incorporates the basic principles of
Asian art, and especially the Chinese science of spatial arrangement or
Feng Shui.
According to Riedl, his management team would assist all Indonesian
traders, wanting to open businesses at the center, with administrative
procedures needed including visa administration, tenant training, legal
services, bookkeeping or tax advice, logistics services, customs
clearance, auditing financial statements, translation and marketing
services.
"We will give the best services possible," Riedl said.
Ita Y. Djoemhana of the Asia Center Indonesia office said that she
would hand pick each and every product or brand worthy of being
promoted at the Indonesian Resource Pavilion.
"What I seek is quality and sustainability of the products. Indonesia
has a lot quality products but sustainability is often an issue.
Therefore, for a starting point, I would prefer a company or a brand
that already has experience in exports," she said.
Ita also mentioned that garnering the potential of SMEs products for
exports was also one of her foremost targets.
"The thing about SMEs or household products is that their end-designs
sometimes need a bit of retouching to meet the taste of the European
market. With that in mind, I have made arrangements with an excellent
design consultant for strategies to increase the value of the
products," she said.
Ita said that within a month, two containers would be shipped to
Budapest and that anyone interested in shipping their products to
Hungary could contact her at the Asia Center office in Kebayoran Baru,
South Jakarta.
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