TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite MP, announced that the business visa approval process for Indonesian citizens can now be completed in just three days. He highlighted the expanding opportunities for Indonesian entrepreneurs, both men and women, to visit Australia to explore investments and pursue business ventures.
The announcement was made during the official launch of Katalis 2.0, a program established under the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA). Katalis 2.0 is designed to bolster bilateral trade and investment while unlocking the economic potential of both nations.
Thistlethwaite pointed out that the availability of a five-year business visa, with a processing time of approximately three days, is one of Australia's policies aimed at facilitating investment flows from Indonesia. He noted the growing footprint of Indonesian investments in Australia, which span diverse sectors from the cocoa industry and renewable energy to natural resources. To sustain this momentum, the Australian government has earmarked AU$40 million to fund the Katalis 2.0 initiative.
Furthermore, Thistlethwaite explained that the two countries had previously rolled out Katalis 1.0, a predecessor program that successfully assisted Indonesian women-led MSMEs in exporting cocoa to Australia. Beyond trade, he mentioned that Katalis 1.0 also enabled Indonesian nurses to undergo online training through the University of New England, paving the way for them to practice in the Australian healthcare sector. Building on these achievements, the launch of Katalis 2.0 seeks to further broaden commercial opportunities and strengthen people-to-people ties between the two neighbors.
Thistlethwaite observed that bilateral trade between Australia and Indonesia has doubled since the IA-CEPA went into effect in 2020. He also revealed that investments by Australian firms in Indonesia have grown by roughly 8 percent, reaching a value of at least US$1.2 billion annually.
Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti, outlined the priority sectors for Katalis 2.0, which focus heavily on education, healthcare, and MSMEs. In the education sector, this initiative will support the establishment of Australian university branch campuses in Indonesia alongside joint degree programs.
Additionally, Roro stated that the government is targeting deeper cooperation in the services sector, with a particular emphasis on healthcare. She encouraged Indonesian nurses to actively pursue knowledge transfer, specialized training, and skills development to meet international standards. This initiative opens up opportunities for Indonesian professionals to contribute to the field.
Finally, Roro emphasized the Indonesian government’s commitment to collaborating with MSMEs, expressing hope that these businesses can scale up their capacity to export local products to Australia.
Read: Australia, Indonesia Launch Katalis 2.0 to Drive Shared Prosperity
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