BPEN to reopen trade promotion centers

BPEN to reopen trade promotion centers

JAKARTA (JP): The National Agency for Export Development
(BPEN) has plans to reopen three overseas trade promotion centers
next year to bolster non-oil and gas exports, according to an
agency official.

Gusmardi Bustami, the head of the BPEN said during a press
conference on Tuesday that the three centers were among the 13
trade centers closed in July 1998 as part of belt-tightening
measures to cope with the economic crisis.

He noted, however, that the agency had yet to decide their
whereabouts.

"We will meet in January to determine the locations," Gusmardi
said.

"Based on expectations that exports will increase in the
coming year, we consider now is the right time to reopen our
trade centers to boost Indonesian exports," he added.

The 13 closed trade centers were located in Dallas, Los
Angeles, New York, Mexico City, Hamburg, London, Rotterdam,
Budapest, Baghdad, Dubai, Jeddah, Osaka, and Sydney.

Gusmardi said the agency had reopened the trade promotion
center in Osaka, Japan on Dec. 8.

It decided to open the Osaka trade center first because Japan
is Indonesia's top export market, accounting for 21.4 percent of
the country's non-oil and gas export revenue, the agency said.

Gusmardi said since the reopening of the center, 14 Indonesian
entrepreneurs had benefited from the center to secure orders from
Japanese businessmen for Indonesian goods worth US$400,000 in
total.

Gusmardi said the government has targeted $53 billion in non-
oil and gas export earnings next year.

"That's still a conservative figure," Gusmardi said, adding
that Indonesia might earn $55 billion next year based on the
significant increase in export earnings booked this year.

He said Indonesia was expecting to record US$48 billion in
export earnings this year, as against the target of $44.7
billion.

Indonesia booked $39.9 billion in the first 10 months of the
year, a 24.6 percent increase from the same period last year,
according to Gusmardi. (03)