Australia Indonesia Development Area Initiative (AIDA)
(Completed)

Project Background

The Australia Indonesia Development Area (AIDA) initiative was launched by Indonesia and Australia in April 1997 with the objective of facilitating closer bilateral economic relations by improving the environment for trade and investment growth in the AIDA region. The region covers all of Australia and Indonesia except Java and Sumatra. AIDA is private-sector driven, with governments playing a facilitating role.

AusAID assistance supports the broad aims of AIDA through in-depth research into the development needs of Eastern Indonesia and the role the aid program can play in achieving AIDA objectives.

AusAID has funded several important studies to identify economic opportunities in the AIDA region of Indonesia:

• an economic study of Indonesia's AIDA provinces, led by the ANU;
• an AIDA private sector development and foreign investment study conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC);
• a survey of regulatory impediments to foreign investment in the area by the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS); and
• a study into Agribusiness Opportunities in Kalimantan and Sulawesi by Murdoch University's Asia Research Centre.

The studies are aimed at producing practical outcomes to improve the enabling environment for private sector trade and investment. The development of the AIDA Business Directory [external site] of Indonesian businesses in the AIDA region is an outcome of the findings of these studies.

This page was last updated on 20 June 2003

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