Promo center to help boost Indonesian exports to Australia<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian exporters must improve their way of doing business and
\npromoting their products if they want to grab a larger share of
\nthe Australian market, the National Export Development Agency
\n(BPEN) said.<\/p>\n
Against that backdrop, BPEN welcomed and supported the setting
\nup of a private institution, called the Product Promotion Center
\nIndonesia-Australia (PPCIA), which was launched on Thursday.
\nPPCIA will aim to provide a complete promotion service package
\nfor Indonesian exporters wishing to enter the Australian market.<\/p>\n
BPEN's head of market development for Australia, New Zealand
\nand the Americas, Dede Hidayat, said the new body would suit well
\ncompanies wishing to boost export volumes, saying that all
\nIndonesian products had the potential to access the Australian
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
\"Furniture products and handicrafts, for example, are among
\nthose products experiencing increasing demand from Australia
\nnowadays,\" he said, during a seminar for the launching of PPCIA.<\/p>\n
\"We also have an important competitive edge over other
\ncountries in the region, being the closest to Australia.\"<\/p>\n
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the
\ncountry's exports to Australia as of November last year were
\nvalued at about US$920 million, of which 61 percent came from
\nnon-oil and gas commodities, traditionally paper and rubber
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
In 2003, total exports to Australia reached $1.09 billion, up
\n2.5 percent from the $1.06 billion the previous year.<\/p>\n
The figures make Indonesia Australia's second most important
\ntrade partner after Singapore within the ASEAN region.<\/p>\n
Dede, however, warned that many Indonesian exporters still
\nlack the knowledge and capability to properly conduct business,
\nwhich has resulted in many complaints from their Australian
\ncounterparts.<\/p>\n
Dede related as an example the fact that many Australian
\nimporters tended to import products in relatively small volumes,
\nbut more frequently. \"Indonesian exporters have problems keeping
\nup with demand because of that, which often results in a failure
\nto meet orders.\"<\/p>\n
Another problem Indonesian exporters face, Dede added, was in
\nfulfilling quality specifications in Australia, especially for
\nfood products.<\/p>\n
\"There are 87 cases related to this issue that are still being
\nheld up by the country's quarantine service,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In addition, there are still many Indonesian producers who do
\nnot know how to establish relations with importers and
\ndistributors in order to gain access to Australia's market.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, PPCIA director Hasan Asy'ari Oramahi said that the
\ninstitution would provide fee-based promotional and business
\nconsulting service packages for its members.<\/p>\n
The package, for an annual fee of A$4,200 (Rp 29 million or
\nUS$3,000), would enable members to display their products in
\nMelbourne, where major trade exhibitions are usually held.<\/p>\n
In the near future, Hasan said that PPCIA will expand its
\nservices to Sydney. For further information, Indonesian exporters
\ncan also refer to PPCIA's website at http:\/\/www.ppcia.com.au.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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