Asian trade hire a concession: ex-commissioner

A recent move by the state government to roll out a second trade commissioner for the South-East Asian region is a concession that its current model is not working, according to a former WA Commissioner to Indonesia.

The state recently revealed it would commit $4.4 million in this week’s state budget to set up the Singapore-based role, which represents a doubling of commissioners in the ASEAN region.

The Singapore office will have oversight over Invest and Trade WA offices in Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia, while an existing trade commissioner role in Jakarta will take care of the state’s presence in Indonesia and the Philippines.

“Our network of trade offices is going from strength to strength under my government, as part of my commitment to doing what’s right for WA and setting up our state for the future,” Premier Roger Cook said when the announcement was made.

But Ross Taylor, who was the state’s commissioner to Indonesia between 2001 and 2003, told Business News the move amounted to a concession that the ‘hub-and-spoke’ commissioner model it adopted in 2021.

At the time, it removed commissioner postings from India, Indonesia and South Korea in favour of a multi-country model where officers of a lower-level report to one regional commissioner – initially based in Singapore, returning to Jakarta once the pandemic’s impacts abated.

The move came following the scandal around the misconduct of corrupt former trade commissioner to Japan Craig Peacock, which led to a review of the state’s trade office setup.

Mr Taylor opined in Business News at the time in criticism of the decision, which followed the scrapping of the standalone Asian engagement portfolio from the state cabinet.

He said the latest move was a recognition that the hub-and-spoke model hadn’t worked.

“It absolutely is [a concession], but the way government works it’s probably not wise to admit that, sadly,” Mr Taylor said.

“Having been a trade commissioner to Indonesia, I averaged about sixty-five to seventy hours a week over the two years I was in the role, to do things properly.

“The idea that one person could sit in Singapore and advance all of the interests of WA businesses to all 10 countries, including Indonesia, is ludicrous.”

Mr Taylor said while local staff remained in-country at various Invest and Trade WA offices across Asia under the hub-and-spoke, that the region’s culture worked against a model without a present senior figure.

“Asia, quite frankly, is a very hierarchical society, and being out front, opening doors to ministers, big corporations dealing with Chinese investors – local junior staff in all those countries, whether you’re talking about Myanmar or Vietnam or the Philippines, are just not going to cut through,” he said.

Mr Taylor also alleged the government’s line, that a new Singaporean commissioner would build on an existing full-time Jakarta-based commissioner, misrepresented the on-ground situation.

In a statement to Business News, a state government spokesperson clarified that while there was a Jakarta-based commissioner role, it was currently filed by an acting commissioner working in Perth.

“The existing substantive ASEAN investment and trade commissioner position is based in Jakarta, however, there is currently an acting commissioner in the position who is managing the role from Perth,” they said.

Business News understands the Perth-based acting commissioner – Bryce Green – has split his time between the two cities and has been in the role for more than a year.

The government spokesperson said recruitment for a full-time commissioner in the Jakarta-based role would begin in the coming weeks. The Singapore job will follow.

Under current Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation policy, the next commissioners will come from within the public sector.

“I could give you half a dozen names of people who I reckon would be absolutely outstanding,” Mr Taylor said of the roles.

“One of the things we did argue [when the change was made] was to go into the private sector to make sure you get the best quality.

“You want someone who does know government, but you also need someone who’s worked in the corporate sector overseas, who knows business and networking, and who can bring people together with very good skills.

“The sad thing is, if you look at the qualifications of the current regime of commissioners, it’s very light on.”

The state’s international offices around the world received more than 1,000 qualified investment leads in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years, according to the government. This is up 36 per cent from the 12 months prior to the pandemic.