DHL to expand business

JAKARTA (JP): International courier company DHL Worldwide Express has targeted a 5 percent increase in its business in Indonesia for 1999 despite the economic slump.

PT Birotika Semesta/DHL Worldwide Express said in a statement on Thursday that it planned to add several new services including the so-called "overnight destinations" to achieve its target.

"We plan to grow and expand our existing facilities and to hire more employees," a senior technical advisor to DHL Indonesia, Mike Fitzpatrick, said.

The company plans especially to expand its Bandung, Batam and Tangerang branches by employing more staff to accommodate its increasing export business.

The company said its main customers are mostly in small to medium scale industries that are exporting products such as furniture, textiles, and certain automotive spare parts to the U.S. and Europe.

In 1998 the company increased its services to the U.S. and Europe by 20 and 18 percent respectively, it said. (02)