Business sentiment in Indonesia improving: JETRO

Business sentiment in Indonesia improving: JETRO

JAKARTA (JP): Japanese investors operating in Indonesia felt
their businesses fared better in August, while those in four
neighboring countries -- Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the
Philippines -- thought their businesses worsened, a Japanese
trade agency said.

Business sentiments of the Japanese companies in Indonesia
improved this month compared to August last year due to
"increased demand for transport machinery in both the domestic
and overseas market," the Japanese External Trade Organization
(JETRO) said on its website, citing the results of its recent
survey.

The survey was conducted by the agency along with Japan's
Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry in the first week of
the month.

The survey targets all types of Japanese firms operating in
Indonesia and the four neighboring countries.

A total of 213 Japanese companies in Indonesia were given
questionnaires during the survey, while the numbers of companies
surveyed in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines
were 477, 262, 441 and 229 respectively.

Responding firms were requested to select an answer to the
question whether business was or would be "better", "the same",
or "worse" as concerns business conditions, supply and demand,
inventories, selling prices and credit retrieval.

JETRO said Japanese firms in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and
the Philippines thought their businesses worsened this month due
to the decrease in overseas demand for products such as
electrical and electronic machinery.

The agency noted, however, that Japanese investors in the five
countries thought the prospects for their businesses would worsen
in the coming two or three months. (jsk)