By Zeinab Saber JAKARTA, May 1, 2018 - Egypt and Indonesia should translate their decades-long political ties into economic co-operation and joint investment, Indonesian businesspeople say. There should be practical measures taken to boost trade and joint investment through co-operation agreements between major Indonesian cities and Egyptian hubs, an Indonesian official told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview. "For instance, there should be mutual efforts to boost tourism, especially halal tourism, which is a key sector in Sumatra," said Irman M. Si, head of the Regional Planning and Development Board of North Sumatra Province. The Indonesian official said that Indonesian travel agents were doing their best to promote Egyptian tourist attractions. "But there is more to be done and I call for more efforts to be exerted," M. Si said. Halal tourism targets Muslim holidaymakers. It does not serve alcohol and provides separate swimming pools for men and women. M. Si called for direct communication channels to be opened between Egyptian and Indonesian officials. Speaking about halal tourism in North Sumatra's 30 cities, M. Si said: "We are working on linking these cities with a road network and seaports to provide shipping and logistical facilities to serve tourism." "Moreover, there should be more co-operation between the business communities in Egypt and Indonesia," said Khairul Mahalli, head of Indonesia's Container Depot Association. "The Egyptian-Indonesian Business Council should intensify its activities to enhance co-operation," Mahalli said. "Trade between Egypt and Indonesia is facilitated by a third party. There's no direct contact between Egyptian and Indonesian businesspeople. This raises the price of Indonesian imports in Egypt," he said, "third party countries and mediators make enormous profits out of their liaising role." To fix that situation, Mahalli suggested the launching of joint councils between North Sumatra and several Egyptian cities. "The two countries need to turn their strong ties into a true business partnership," he added.
