Approximately 80 participants attended, including the Minister of Finance, HE Bambang Brodjonegoro and Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Paul Grigson. Also in attendance was staff from the ANU (Hal Hill, Premachandra Athukorala, Blane Lewis, Robert Sparrow, and Arianto Patunru), the Australian Treasury (Natalie Horvat and Georgina Prasad), high level officials from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry, as well as representatives from the Indonesian business sector.

After the dialogue, Project staff lead by Hal Hill prepared and presented the communiqué to Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro The Minister said he was looking forward to the follow up both in terms of policy formulation within his ministry as well as the opportunity of future dialogue between Australia and Indonesia. The event ended with a cocktail reception at the Australian Ambassador’s residence. On 26 August 2015, the Project held the preparatory meeting for the 2016 HLPD, at the ANU. Suahasil Nazara, Head of FPA MOF, led the Indonesian delegation that also included Sidqy Suyitno, the Director of State Finance, National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), and Juda Agung, the Executive Director of Economic and Monetary Policy, Bank Indonesia. Nazara kicked off the first session with a presentation on recent macroeconomics and fiscal developments in Indonesia. This was followed by Agung’s presentation on monetary developments. During the second session Nazara gave another presentation this time on the budget allocation for social welfare and infrastructure, whilst Suyitno presented the government work plan for social welfare and infrastructure. The meeting concluded with a discussion of potential topics for the 2016 HLPD. In subsequent discussions between the Project and Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance, it was agreed that the 2016HLPD in Jakarta would focus on three issues: industrial policy, fiscal policy and reform, and the international economy.