BALI, Indonesia, (PNA/Xinhua) — As top business leaders and the heads of state gathered in Bali, a lot of messages could be delivered among them that were expected to help settle problems in expanding economy.
Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) of global firms praised the meeting, saying that they could get more benefit from the meeting, including knowing the trend of the business, government policies and opportunity that they could tap.
Criticism could also be heard during the meeting.
Several CEOs conveyed their opinion to Xinhua in interviews on the sidelines of the APEC CEO Summit in Bali on Sunday.
Robert Prieto, Senior Vice President of FLOUR, a U.S.-based engineering firm, said that the meeting provides a lot of business potential.
“The APEC region has the highest economic potential in the world, it is important for business to engage or seek the potential and this meeting provide opportunity for business and the government to come together to talk how to improve the region, and to deliver benefit,” he said.
On the government side, Prieto said that they could hear the aspiration at the bottom of the larger areas.
“..for the government (it can) hear not only the business in its own economy, but also business throughout the region. So it is very important meeting,” he said.
“I think many problem (settlements) can be put forward. I do not know whether they can be solved here today, but every step we take to settle the problem is very important,” said Prieto.
He also said that certainty, transparency and trade facilities were needed in the region to lure more investment.
Emirsyah Satar, president and CEO of Indonesian leading airlines PT Garuda Indonesia, said that the presence of the heads of state at the meeting significantly contributed to business in making strategies as they would find out the trend of the policies.
“The interesting in this meeting now is the participation of the heads of state. It is very good because we can find out their thinking, the way they see this region,” he said.
“From the meeting of CEO of big firms we will know the opportunity of business. We can build networking,” he said.
Keith E. Williams, president and CEO of UL LLC, a U.S.-based firm on quality testing and quality standard, said that the meeting could promote free trade that help boost export.
Williams suggested that transparency in rules of law and creation of fair playing field among business should be boosted to lure more investment in the region.