Singapore publishes RI trade data for first time in 30 years<\/p>\n
Yeoh En-Lai
\nAssociated Press
\nSingapore<\/p>\n
For the first time in 30 years, Singapore released figures on
\nWednesday representing its trade with Indonesia, seven months
\nafter its largest neighbor questioned Singapore's policy for
\nwithholding the figures.<\/p>\n
Trade between Singapore and Indonesia was worth S$26.2 billion
\n(US$15.11 billion) in 2003, making Indonesia its seventh-largest
\ntrading partner, the island nation's trade promotion body
\nInternational Enterprise Singapore said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The statement was the first on the neighbors' bilateral trade
\nsince 1974 when Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and
\nformer Indonesian president Soeharto reached a "mutual
\nunderstanding" to keep the figures secret.<\/p>\n
The arrangement continued after Suharto was removed as
\npresident in 1998, Singapore's Trade and Industry Ministry said
\nin a statement in July without explaining the reasons for the
\nsecrecy.<\/p>\n
But last June, Indonesian Minister of Industry and Trade Rini
\nSoewandi said there were marked discrepancies between trade data
\nexchanged between the two nations and said that Singapore should
\nmake its information public.<\/p>\n
By putting the trade data in the open, it would help the huge
\narchipelago curb smuggling and illegal exports of its natural
\nresources, she said.<\/p>\n
In response, Singapore said that every year it handed
\ninformation to "key Indonesian ministers" and said "Indonesia was
\nfree to publish the data publicly."<\/p>\n
Singapore imported S$14.5 billion worth of Indonesian goods in
\n2003, with petroleum products and manufacturing components
\ncomprising the bulk, the statement said. Trade with Indonesia
\nmade up about 5.5 percent of the S$473.9 billion of goods that
\nSingapore sold and bought last year.<\/p>\n
Key imports from Indonesia included telecommunications
\nequipment, refined petroleum products as well as parts of office
\nand data processing machines. Key exports to Indonesia were
\nelectrical machinery, petroleum products and telecommunications
\napparatus, International Enterprise Singapore said.<\/p>",
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