Government trade mission drums up business for Royal HaskoningDHV
Thanks to a high level trade mission to Indonesia by the Dutch government, Royal HaskoningDHV has managed to secure two contracts as part of the development of the $300 million Kuala Tanjung Port. The firm has also entered into discussions to pilot a hospital development project in the Asian nation of more than 260 million people.
A consortium of Dutch Government officials, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte, travelled to Indonesia in an attempt to improve trade relations between the two contries. Rutte, who recently retained power in the Dutch parliamentary elections, despite struggling to form a coalition since, was joined by then Ministers Schultz van Haegen and State Secretary Dijksmarecent.
Relations were then seen by some as strained between the majority Muslim nation and the Netherlands thanks to the perceived popularity of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders before the 2017 that he failed to make significant ground in. Rutte was keen to dispell during his visit, with the Prime Minister stating, "Indonesia is a perfect example of one of the biggest democracy in the world, with different faiths but still maintaining a very balanced society. I would never as a liberal politician judge somebody on their faith."
The visit, which saw officials joined by a number of Dutch businesses, including professional services firm Royal HaskoningDHV, saw collaboration on a number of different projects, including a CEO summit focused on improving the working relationship between Dutch and Indonesian businesses, and investment and collaboration programmes in key sectors, from hospitals to shipping.
Additionally, a key discussion point on the agenda related to efforts in solving a pressing problem for Jakarta: the city is sinking at 10 centimetres per year due to the unsustainable use of groundwater from beneath the city – endangering up to 5 million people in the north of the city that face immanent flooding. The Dutch government, through the Dutch water sector, is involved in the development process for a lasting solution to sustainable water management for the city.
For Royal HaskoningDHV, with around 350 employees working on projects for production sites in the country, the mission has continued to pay dividends beyond its end point. So far it has resulted in signing two contracts with the Indonesian port operator Pelindo I for the development of Kuala Tanjung Port in North Sumatra. The port, which is expected to cost around $300 million, is part of the country’s wider maritime highway vision led by President Joko Widodo – which includes a total of 24 new strategic ports in the country. The value of the contracts for Royal HaskoningDHV has not been disclosed.
Members from Royal HaskoningDHV’s healthcare practice, including Eduard Boonstra, the firm’s Business developer for the segment, also took part in trade discussions surrounding hospital development in Indonesia. The country, whose healthcare expenditure falls in the middle range in relation to its neighbours, offers considerable opportunities for joint benefit from work with Dutch providers – the country has one of the world’s most effective healthcare systems. The firm will work on a pilot project to deliver economically viable hospital designs that are able to contribute to the improvement of the public as well private health sector in Indonesia.
Boonstra, remarked, “Together with the Ministry of Health, BPJS and local health authorities, we expect to work on a pilot project after successfully having performed a feasibility study regarding the improvement of the primary care system in Yogyakarta within the framework of Universal Health Coverage. We are proud to be recognised by leading Indonesia hospital operators as integrated design partner in the development of modern, efficient and patient safe hospitals which enable us to further build up our track record in Indonesia.”