E-commerce for exporters

JAKARTA (JP): PT Insan Dharma Abadi and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) are now offering an Internet- based export-marketing service called the Indonesian Trading Zone (ITZ).

Insan Dharma Abadi president Amalya Hasibuan said on Wednesday the worldwide Web site, launched in June, offered a free listing section which contained 2,600 domestic companies, and three ITZ membership options. These three options are Basic Kadin, Plus Kadin and ITZ-Premium.

Members of the service must be Indonesian-based businesses and will be charged Rp 990,000 (US$132) per month, including the 10 percent value added tax.

Hasibuan said it took 12 days to complete a company's profile and advertisement layout for placement on the Web page.

"E-business could be the most effective vehicle to bolster the country's exports as the backbone of the economic recovery, so we are very optimistic about the service's future," she told a business conference.

The company said it had so far registered 40 members and was targeting at least 200 members by the end of the year.

Hasibuan said ITZ facilitated direct business transactions without commissions.

"Although we started only six weeks ago, ITZ has so far been visited by 150,000 interested foreign buyers," she said. (01)