On January 31, 2018, Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, together with Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and the Employers’ Association of Indonesia (APINDO), held a press briefing to share information on how the government and the private sector are working even more closely together to support the trade negotiation process. Shinta Kamdani, Vice Chairman of International Relations in KADIN, shared that KADIN and APINDO now sit together with the government negotiating team. Based on a written decision of the President, Shinta stated that KADIN has been officially appointed to participate as part of the government ministry negotiation team. Shinta went on to say that this demonstrates the government’s recognition of the importance of the involvement of the business community in the trade negotiation and implementation process.

To support this new policy, TPSA organized a two-month internship in Canada for a member of the KADIN negotiation support team, Jessica Callista, to learn how Canada strengthens its trade negotiation positions by continuously informing the private sector and seeking inputs from the private sector, a process which Canada calls Public-Private Consultation (PPC). “PPC participants are not only businesses, but also non-businesses including academics, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, native Canadians, students and other interested stakeholders,” Ms. Callista said. The Canadian government also uses social media when consulting with and providing notifications to the public. “The method is considered unofficial, but Canada sees it as an effective and efficient method because of its low cost and quick response time,” she continued. Ms. Callista has produced a report including recommendations on ways that Indonesia can learn from Canada’s experience to strengthen the participation of the Indonesian private sector in the trade negotiation and implementation process.