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The United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), through its Indonesia competitiveness program Senada, has
established a fund worth US$1 million to promote business innovation.
USAID announced Wednesday that it is inviting business innovation
proposals for grants of up to $25,000 for applicants, whether private
firms, NGOs, think tanks or trade associations, that meet the set
criteria.
Senada senior industry advisor Caesar Layton said that the criteria
included the requirement that the proposed activities be underway for
less than six months, location in Java, and the accrual of significant
benefits from the innovation.
"And the benefits must not be focused on the company itself. There has
to be external, broader impacts on its surrounding, on many other
companies around it. That's the main criteria," said Layton.
He gave as examples a bank performing risk assessments for its SME
customers, or an industry association informing its members about
potential contracts by text message.
"Innovation is not always about hi-tech. It can also mean new products
or services, improvements in processes and systems, simplification of
policies and regulation, and changes in the way people think that can
make them do better," said Layton.
He said that there has always been a positive correlation between
business innovation and economic growth, and since innovation often
involved financial risk, Senada intended to reduce these through its
grant.
As Senada focuses on the footwear, furniture, autoparts, home
accessories, and information and communications technology industries,
Senada would give priority to organizations connected with these
fields, although other businesses would also be considered. Application
forms can be downloaded at www.senada.or.id/innovation.
The program is due to run until March 2009.
Senada is a four-year project financed by USAID. Established in
September 2005, its objectives are to generate growth, jobs and income
by increasing the competitiveness of Indonesia's major labor-intensive
light manufacturing industries.
With a total funding of US$20 million, Senada has been working on
strengthening industry value chains in InMore Chinese tourists expected
to visit Indonesia this year
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is hoping to see at least 300,000 Chinese tourists visit the
country this year on the back of a travel boom among newly affluent
mainlanders.
Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said that he was optimistic the
target could be achieved thanks to an increase in the number of
international flights between Indonesia and China.
"I believe this year will see a higher number of Chinese tourists since
the current figure is still very small compared to the potential."
Domestic airline Lion Air is to open a new route linking Denpasar and
the Chinese city of Guilin, adding to the five airlines that currently
fly to a number of Chinese cities.
Besides Lion Air, which will have one flight per week, the other
domestic airline that flies to China is Garuda, which currently has 16
flights a week to four cities in China: Beijing (three times a week),
Shanghai (four times a week), Guangzhou (four times a week) and Hong
Kong (five times a week).
Besides local airlines, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore
Airlines and Korean Airlines also fly between Indonesia and China.
"We hope to attract more Chinese tourists as China is seeing more and
more people traveling abroad. It would already be significant if
Indonesia could attract a small proportion of its 1.2 billion people,"
explained Jero
Jero was speaking to reporters during a media conference welcoming
China's culture minister, Sun Jia Zheng, to Indonesia on Wednesday.
Sun, who arrived in Bali last week, will spend a number of days in
Indonesia during which time he will discuss about culture relations
between the two countries.
Jero explained that the cultural mission would involve the joint
production of a movie about Cheng Ho (Zheng He), a Chinese explorer who
arrived in Java 600 years ago.
"Besides the movie, we also plan to stage a major Chinese performance
at Borobudur, or the Kecak Bali dance at China's Great Wall," said Jero.
"We are also pleased to announce that the torch for the 2008 Beijing
Olympics will travel via Jakarta around May next year, which will
provide a great opportunity for Indonesia to promote its tourism as the
international media will broadcast this event," he explained.
During the first quarter of this year, only 52,565 Chinese tourists
visited Indonesia only, an increase of 37.89 percent from the 38,120
tourists recorded during the same period last year.
To attract more foreign tourists to Indonesia, the government is set to
stage "Visit Indonesia Year" in 2008, which will involve the holding of
100 international-scale events and cultural festivals. It is hoped that
the promotion will attract some 6 million foreign tourists.donesia.
Deputy project director of Senada, David Ray, said it had been trying
to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of value chains, to upgrade
the capabilities of industries in the marketing field, and to help them
with certification matters.
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