Arsjad Rasjid (second from right), chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, meets Hong Kong legislators Edward Leung Hei (left), Kennedy Wong Ying-ho (second from left) and Suwito, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Hong Kong and Macao Committee, in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov 14. (XUE JINGQI / CHINA DAILY)
Business leaders from some of the world’s major economies are keen for the Group of 20 Bali Summit to effectively respond to pressing global problems, including climate change and the pandemic, the host of this year’s Business 20 said on Monday.
Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and host of B20 Indonesia, said helping developing countries secure vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and creating a platform for those who wish to know more about the carbon market are among the legacies that B20 Bali is celebrating
B20 is the official business group that leads engagement with the G20. Indonesia is the current president of G20, and the summit is currently being held on the resort island of Bali. This year's B20 Summit focuses on advancing innovative, inclusive and collaborative growth.
Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and host of B20 Indonesia, said helping developing countries secure vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and creating a platform for those who wish to know more about the carbon market are among the legacies that B20 Bali is celebrating.
“Talking about recommendation of policies is just talk. We need to make it down to action plans, and then even to projects,” Rasjid said in an interview held at the sidelines of the B20 Summit.
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Rasjid said that B20 is promoting inclusive growth by nurturing the expansion of MSMes through Wiki Wirausaha — an online platform that connects big Indonesian corporations with MSMEs. While this platform was created for Indonesia, Rasjid is hoping that this will be replicated in other G20 nations.
He said another highlight of the two-day B20 Summit, which will end on Monday, is celebrating the adoption of the One Health approach. Rasjid said this is aligned with the $1.4 billion Pandemic Fund that Indonesian President Joko Widodo launched on Sunday.
One Health is an approach that integrates the health of humans, animals and ecosystems as a way to prevent, detect and control emerging infectious diseases.
China Daily Global Weekly is among the press available at the media center of the G20 Bali Summit in on the island of Bali island, Indonesia, on Nov 14. (WANG LEI / CHINA DAILY)
While industrialized nations had the resources to access vaccines at the height of the pandemic, developing countries had a hard time accessing vaccines, Rasjid said.
He said the Indonesian government “was very swift” in securing our vaccines, but this was not the case for other developing nations.
“How can we create vaccines? How do we foster technology? How do you produce vaccines in countries like Indonesia” or other developing countries? he said.
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The B20 host also cited the Carbon Knowledge Hub, which was launched on Saturday by KADIN and BloombergNEF. The hub is a web platform that provides information and insights on the carbon market. Carbon trading is one of the tools that are helping governments reduce emissions and fulfill climate commitments.
