Tourist industry to become largest forex earner<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The tourist industry will be the country's
\nbiggest foreign exchange earner by the end of the Seventh Five
\nYear Development Plan (Repelita VII) period, State Minister of
\nNational Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita says.<\/p>\n
\"We have already set the goal in the foreign exchange
\nearning,\" Ginandjar said at the opening of a three-day workshop
\nof the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
He said that by the end of the Repelita VI period in 1999, the
\ntourist industry is expected to rank fourth after oil, gas and
\ntextiles in foreign exchange earning.<\/p>\n
Data at the Central Bureau of Statistics show that the ranking
\nof the tourist industry in foreign exchange earnings among the
\nnon-oil sectors steadily moved up from fifth in 1985 to third in
\n1992. In 1985, the tourist industry, with foreign exchange
\nearnings of US$525 million, ranked fifth behind timber with
\nearnings of $1.19 billion, rubber with $726 million, textiles
\nwith $559 million and coffee with $556 million.<\/p>\n
In comparison, Indonesia gained $6.06 billion from textile
\nexports and $5.47 billion from timber exports last year.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications said that
\nthe country gained $3.35 billion from foreign tourists in 1993.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar, who is also chairman of the National Development
\nPlanning Agency, said that in 1998, Indonesia expects some 6.5
\nmillion visitors, bringing in about $8.9 billion in foreign
\nexchange.<\/p>\n
\"The figure is far lower than Malaysia's rate in 1993 when
\ntourist arrivals in that country reached 6.8 million,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that there are many obstacles in the development
\nof the tourist industry in Indonesia, which have caused it to lag
\nfive years behind Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar urged that tourist sector infrastructure be
\ndeveloped quickly to move Indonesia's industry ahead. He also
\ncalled for more attention to the quality of the people manning
\nthe sector.<\/p>\n
\"The most important factor actually is the quality of human
\nresources,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that bureaucratic procedures also hamper the
\nprogress of the tourist industry.<\/p>\n
Telecommunications<\/p>\n
During the three-day workshop, Minister of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications Joop Ave is expected to sign a fundamental
\ntechnical plan, which is expected to regulate the fast growing
\ntelecommunications business in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Director General of Post and Telecommunications Djakaria said
\nthat because Indonesia has now more than one telecommunications
\noperator for both domestic and international services, there
\nshould be a regulation on the standards and quality of networks.<\/p>\n
The workshop, focusing on the ministry's five-year programs,
\nwill also discuss the establishment of Indonesia Incorporated,
\nwhich comprises both state-owned and private telecommunications
\ncompanies for telecommunications projects in Cambodia, Vietnam
\nand Myanmar. Those countries are believed to offer major project
\nopportunities for Indonesia. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tourist-industry-to-become-largest-forex-earner-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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