Singapore and Indonesia are seeking closer ties in the cruise and energy sectors as part of efforts to boost business ties between the two South-east Asian neighbours.
“There are specific sectors which we are looking at,” said Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran following a recent visit to Jakarta.
Cruise tourism offers potential for regional collaboration as interest in the region’s attractions and islands grow, he said.
“There is a lot of interest, and already some of it is taking place now, for cruising in South-east Asia,” Iswaran said.
“In Singapore many of the international cruise companies are already home-porting, and they want to see how they can create more interesting itineraries.”
In terms of energy cooperation, Iswaran said Indonesia’s plan to improve energy accessibility offers opportunities.
“Some of our companies are keen to be involved in some of the efforts, whether its in terms of small-scale LNG and possibly renewable energy,” he said.
Last year Singapore government-backed gas outfit Pavilion Energy signed an MOU with Indonesia’s Pertamina on energy cooperation.
The scope of collaboration includes exploring opportunities in small-scale LNG projects as well as joint marketing, trading and procurement.
