RI hopes to double exports to Eastern Europe by 2004<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government predicts the country's exports to 10 Eastern
\nEuropean countries to double after their accession to the
\nEuropean Union (EU) next year.<\/p>\n
\"Our exports to the 10 Eastern Europe countries were valued at
\nUS$263 million last year. After their accession to the European
\nUnion, we expect the value to double to about $500 million,\"
\nMinister of Trade and Industry, Rini M.S. Soewandi told reporters
\nfollowing the exporter forum at the 2003 Resource Indonesia (PPE)
\nexpo on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 10 Eastern European countries in question are Cyprus, the
\nCzech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia,
\nLithuania, Slovakia and Malta. They will join the EU by May 1,
\n2004.<\/p>\n
With the accession, the 10 countries will follow EU rules and
\nregulations on finance, banking systems, as well as production
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
This is expected to encourage more Indonesian exporters to
\nenter the Eastern European market.<\/p>\n
Rini said, currently, many exporters were reluctant to enter
\nthe market due to concerns over different payment systems and the
\nlack of connection between Indonesian banks and banks there.<\/p>\n
During the forum, Juan Casla, a program manager with the EU
\ndelegation in Indonesia, said it would be easy for Indonesian
\nexporters to enter the EU market as long as they understood the
\nEU regulations and product standards.<\/p>\n
Also during the forum, Marius Wrzesniewski, commercial
\ncounselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Indonesia
\nsaid Indonesian exports to Poland last year reached $224 million,
\nmore than twice the $111 million reported by the Indonesian
\nCentral Statistics Agency (BPS).<\/p>\n
The gap in figures occurred because half of the Indonesian
\ngoods reached Poland through a third country. With the country's
\naccession to the EU, it is expected Indonesian goods could be
\ndirectly delivered to Poland.<\/p>\n
Poland is the largest importer of Indonesian goods among the
\n10 Eastern European countries.<\/p>\n
Slovakia is also a promising market for Indonesian goods,
\naccording to the commercial counselor of the Embassy of the
\nSlovak Republic in Indonesia, Peter Svitek.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesian exports to his country grew by 30 percent
\neach year, reaching $50 million last year.<\/p>\n
\"This year we estimate Indonesian exports to Slovakia could
\nreach $70 million,\" he said, adding Slovakia needed more raw
\nmaterials and agricultural products from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Separately, economic and political counselor at the Hungarian
\nEmbassy in Indonesia Andras Hrabovski said Indonesian exports to
\nhis country totaled $150 million last year. They grew by 115
\npercent in the first seven months this year as compared to the
\nsame period in 2002.<\/p>\n
However, BPS data showed Indonesian exports to Slovakia and
\nHungary reached $805,000 and $70.17 million in 2002 respectively.<\/p>\n
Rini earlier said Indonesia's exports could increase by 7
\npercent next year, thanks to a higher demand from new markets,
\nincluding Eastern Europe, the Middle East and China. Until
\nrecently, Indonesia mostly focused on traditional markets, such
\nas the United States, Western Europe and Japan.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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