2012 Viw Embassy Newsletter 1

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Ambassador forewordChristiaan TANGHE

1.AMBASSADOR FOREWORD

2.EMBASSY CORNER

3.

NEWS FROM BELGIUM

4.

EVENTS CORNER

5.USEFUL CONTACTS

NEWSLETTER OF THE BELGIAN EMBASSY IN JAKARTA JANUARY-MARCH 2012

Dear Friends,It is with great pleasure indeed that I greet all of you at thebeginning of this year through this new version of thenewsletter of the Embassy of Belgium in Jakarta. May 2012

bring you and your families peace and happiness throughoutthis new year.

The newsletter will keep you up to date regularly on items ofinterest concerning Belgium, the Belgian embassy and Belgianactivities in Indonesia.

This issue will take you through recent changes at the embassyas to the introduction of the new Belgian biometric passportsand the representation of Belgium (and Luxemburg) by theNetherlands here in Indonesia for the issuance of short termSchengen visa.

The heading News from Belgium will focus on issues ofinterest from our country to underline our dynamic nature andcreativity in a variety of fields.

The events corner will bring you news regularly about ouractivities and those of our different Belgian groups inIndonesia.

We will keep on being in touch with you through thisnewsletter.Best regards,Christiaan Tanghe
http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/


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In 2004, Belgium was a forerunner inintroducing electronic chips in itspassports. These chips contained thepassport holders personal data,signature and photo. Now, fingerprintsare the next step forward as they arealso gradually being introduced.

European harmonisation

Some 500 million European citizens areaffected by these measures, as the newbiometric passports are a EuropeanUnion requirement. The EU herebyintends to improve the security of:- the ci t iz ens thems elves: byguaranteeing them a travel documentthat is almost impossible to forge,offering greater protection againstidentity theft;- the territories: by fighting againstidentity fraud,which is constantly on the rise and whichaffects many states.

New Procedure

If you reside abroad, it is possible thatchanging over to a biometric passportwill not be a straightforward matter. Inmany cases, you will have to travel,sometimes great distances, to apply foryour passport.Unlike many other countries, for manyyears Belgium has been very flexible

with its citizens residing abroad byallowing them to apply for their passportby post. With the introduction ofbiometrics, this will no longer be apossibility since every citizen will have to

be physically present in order to apply fora passport (as of age 6).

When you apply, you will have to provide4 types of information, which will beintegrated into the passport:1. Your identity and nationality2. The prints of 2 of your fingers, prioritybeing givento the forefingers (as of age 12)3. A photograph, that will be taken on site(as of age 6)4. Your signatureThe process for inputting biometric datais very fast. It takes just a few minutes totake your photo and fingerprints. You nolonger have to bring a photo to apply fora passport. Our embassies andconsulates are gradually being providedwith the necessary equipment, at noextra cost for you. The photo is takendirectly at the embassy or consulate sothat it meets stricter international criteriathan previously. To give you an idea, only39% of photos currently brought alongfor use in passports meet thesestandards.

Under the age of six, children do nothave to be present in person to apply.Children under age 12 do not have toprovide their fingerprints but if they arebetween 6 and 12 years old, their photohas to be taken and they have to signtheir passport. Therefore, as soon as

children are six years old, they have tobe present when their passport is appliedfor.

NEWSLETTER OF THE BELGIAN EMBASSY IN JAKARTA JANUARY - MARCH 2012

EMBASSY CORNER

BIOMETRICS IN YOUR PASSPORT


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Other Possibilities

Foreign Affairs are well aware of thedifficulties brought about by the obligationfor people to travel in person that someBelgians living abroad will have to dealwith. For this reason, it is doing everythingit can to reduce inconveniences as muchas possible.

Three options will be open in the short ormedium term:

1. Having your digital fingerprints andphoto registered elsewhere: in aBelgian provincial administration duringa trip to Belgium (as of the spring of2012) or in another diplomatic orconsular post than the one in which youare registered but that is closer.

Prerequisites: That this post alreadyhas the necessary equipment and thatIT adaptations have been made.

2. Register your digital fingerprints andphoto well before the time at which youneed a passport, for instance when youare in the town where you embassy orconsulate is located. Your data wouldthen be stored for a maximum of oneyear and used when applying at a latertime by mail to the embassy within thistimeframe. Prerequisite: The creation ofa temporary database approved by theCommission for the protection ofprivacy.

3. The provision of mobile biometric

equipment in several posts and theorganization of annual visits by consulsin zones of their jurisdiction that are faraway from the post (end of 2012).

Prerequisite: purchase, configurationand testing of the equipment. Othersolutions are being looked into but inthe longer term, as some of theminvolve changes in legislation.

Situation in Indonesia :The biometric equipment has been

installed in the Embassy in Jakarta inNovember 2011 and has started its trialperiod. During this time it is still possibleto apply for your passport "the old way",but we strongly recommend you to makethe trip to the chancery.The exact date when the new system willbe compulsory is still unknown but will becommunicated as soon as this informationbecomes available.

If my passport is still valid on the daythe biometric system is introduced, willI be able to go on using it?

Absolutely. Your passport will remainvalid without restrictions until the expirydate printed on it.


EMBASSY CORNER
http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/services_abroad/belgian_passport/biometrisch_paspoort/belg_in_buitenland/http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/services_abroad/belgian_passport/biometrisch_paspoort/belg_in_buitenland/http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/services_abroad/belgian_passport/biometrisch_paspoort/belg_in_buitenland/


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EMBASSY CORNER

SCHENGEN VISA IN JAKARTA: BELGIUM REPRESENTED BY THE

NETHERLANDS

As had been previously announced, the Embassy of the Netherlands has taken

over reponsibilities for issuance of short term Schengen visa for the BENELUX

area from the Belgian Embassy as of September 2012. However, the Belgian

Embassy will remain responsible for issuance of long term visa (marriage, family

reunfication, work etc.)

This type of cooperation is known as issuance in representation. It is not limited

to cooperation between BENELUX countries, but exists also among other

Schengen partners.

According to the agreement between Belgium and the Netherlands, applications

have to fulfill the requirements set by the representing country, that is also

making the descision on granting the visa. This means that Dutch regulations will

prevail and that the Belgian Embassy will only have an advisory role.

Furthermore, comments and complaints are to be addressed primarily to theissuing country i.e. the Netherlands.

Cooperation between the Dutch and the Belgian Embassy is excellent and regular

contact is maintained to discuss these comments and complaints.

Please follow this link to make an online appointment at the Dutch Embassy:

http://jakarta.embassytools.com/

for more information on mandatory documents:

http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/
http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/http://jakarta.embassytools.com/http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/http://jakarta.embassytools.com/http://jakarta.embassytools.com/


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NEWS FROM BELGIUM

Belgium ranks as fourth most attractive country in the world for foreign investors

According to a recent report by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade andDevelopment), foreign direct investment in Belgium rose by more than 50% from 2009to almost $62 billion (about EUR 43 billion) in 2010. Belgium is ranked as the fourthmost attractive country for foreign direct investment, after the United States ($228billion), China ($106 billion) and Hong Kong ($69 billion). Again in 2010, Belgium was10th in the world ranking for outgoing direct investment at $38 billion (~ EUR 27 billion).www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID=15189&intItemID=2068&lang=1

Logistics, biotech and ICT

Business Facilities is one of the main American magazines to cover economicdevelopment. It recently published its annual Rankings Report, which ranks the worldsstates and regions according to their economic results. The Report puts Belgium in 9thplace among logistics leaders, Brussels comes 8th among emerging ICT hubs, andWallonia is 5th in the emerging biotech hubs category. http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf`

Belgium in top five for train travel

On average, each Belgian travels 972 km by train per year according to the figurespublished by the International Union of Railways (UIC) for 2010.This makes Belgium the fifth highest European country for train usage. In terms offrequency of use Belgium comes seventh, with 20 train trips per inhabitant per year onaverage. These excellent results can no doubt be explained by the density of theBelgian railway network, which is one of the largest and most modern in Europewith its3,536 km of lines, 2,950 of which are electrified and over 300 of which canaccommodate high-speed trains. www.uic.org

Riyadh - Sports expertise as export product

Since Michel Preudhomme took over as coach of the Al Shabab football club (SaudiArabia), it has booked one success after another. In addition to his own expertise, thewinning coach also employs high-tech measuring and observation equipmentdeveloped in collaboration with Ghent University. Alfacam, a company based in Lint, Belgium, and which delivers footage to TVbroadcasters all over the world, was recently tapped to perform all broadcast servicesfor football matches for the Saudi Ministry of Media. This created ten new jobs forBelgian workers.In addition, construction giant Besix was contracted to build a sports

complex with a stadium capable of seating 60,000 spectators in Jeddah.
http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf%60http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID=15189&intItemID=2068&lang=1http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID=15189&intItemID=2068&lang=1http://www.uic.org/http://www.uic.org/http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf%60http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf%60http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf%60http://businessfacilities.com/BFJulyAug11_global_rankings_noAds.pdf%60http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID=15189&intItemID=2068&lang=1http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID=15189&intItemID=2068&lang=1


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NEWS FROM BELGIUM

Belgium attracts brains

EU Member States are keen to bring in more and more talents. They are thereforeendeavouring to attract a maximum of foreign specialists by adapting immigrationregulations applicable to highly qualified personnel. A comparative study has revealedthat Belgiums performance remains very high in terms of knowledge migration. Themigration procedure for highly qualified people is faster in Belgium than in neighbouringcountries.Compared with its neighbours, Belgium has the best score in terms of speed, cost and

the conditions for obtaining a work permit for highly qualified people. This result waspublished in a study carried out by Deloitte, the auditing and consulting firm, whichcompared the migration procedures for foreign qualified workers in various Europeancountries.

FPS Social Security presents new website on social security issues forforeigners moving to Belgium

From now on, people coming to Belgium to live, work or study will be able, with just a

few mouse clicks, to discover the social security regulations that apply to them. Thanksto the Coming2Belgium tool, which is available on the social security portal site(www.coming2belgium.be), anyone will immediately obtain the information matchinghis profile. Coming2Belgium has been designed for foreigners who want to live for a longperiod in Belgium and for Belgian citizens who come back to their own country after along stay abroad. This includes employed persons, self-employed persons, civilservants, frontier workers, posted workers, pensioners, students, ... This tool has notbeen designed for persons who come to Belgium for holidays or for a short stay.In 2010, a similar tool, named Leaving Belgium , had already been launched on the

social security portal site. This tool is designed for Belgian citizens who want to leavetheir country to live, work or study abroad. (https://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.html).
https://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.htmlhttp://www.coming2belgium.be/https://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.htmlhttps://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.htmlhttps://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.htmlhttps://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/en/leaving_belgium/index.htmlhttp://www.coming2belgium.be/http://www.coming2belgium.be/


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EVENTS CORNER


On November 15, Ambassador Tanghe hosted the annual reception on the occasion ofKings Day. The Ambassador welcomed the Minister of Administrative Reform Ir. H.Azwar Abubakar, and representatives of the Indonesian government, colleagues,business contacts and fellow Belgians in Indonesia.Over 200 guest enjoyed Belgian delicacies and Belgian beers under a pleasantcanopy in our national colors.

End November mrs. Gul Tanghe, together with the Luxemburg Honorary Consulate inJakarta, coordinated the participation of both countries to the annual WomensInternational Club charity bazar.Special thanks to the participating companies who made this event a big success!


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The Belgian Embassy

wishes you the best for

2012!!


EVENTS CORNER


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NEWSLETTER OF THE BELGIAN EMBASSY IN JAKARTA JANUARY-MARCH 2012

USEFUL CONTACTS

EMBASSY OF BELGIUMDeutsche Bank Building,

Jalan Imam Bonjol, 8910310 JakartaTel: +62/21.316.20.30

[email protected]/jakarta

H.E. Christiaan Tanghe, Ambassador of Belgium Mr. ArnaudLion, Counsellor

Mrs. Evy Deman, Counsellor

Mrs. Karine Maeckelberghe, Consul

FLANDERS INVESTMENT ANDTRADE

Deutsche Bank Building,Jalan Imam Bonjol, 8910310 JakartaTel: +62/21.316.20.30

[email protected]

Mrs. Nathalie Surmont

EMBASSY OF THE NETHERLANDSJalan HR Rasuna Said Kav. S-3Jakarta 12950Tel:+62/21.524.82.00http://indonesia.nlembassy.org

[email protected]

BELGIAN LUXEMBURGINDONESIAN CLUB (BLIC)

President: Randolph [email protected]

VLAMINGEN IN DE WERELD

www.viw.behttp://[email protected] Kerremans (Bali)Paul Wouters (Jakarta)

UNION FRANCOPHONE DES

BELGES A LETRANGERhttp://www.ufbe.be

Randolph Wintgens

DELEGATION OF THE EUIntiland Tower,

Jalan Jendral Sudirman 3210220 JakartaTel: + 62/[email protected]

INDONESIAN BENELUXCHAMBER OF COMMERCEMenara Jamsostek Tower A

Jl. General Gatot Subroto 3812710 JakartaTel: +62/[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.flanderstrade.be/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.flanderstrade.be/mailto:[email protected]://www.ina.or.id/http://www.ina.or.id/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ufbe.be/http://www.ufbe.be/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://viw-indonesia.blogspot.com/http://viw-indonesia.blogspot.com/http://www.viw.be/http://www.viw.be/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.flanderstrade.be/http://www.flanderstrade.be/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.diplomatie.be/jakartahttp://www.diplomatie.be/jakartamailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

2012 Viw Embassy Newsletter 1