Energy-saving light market to grow 16%

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The domestic market for energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights lamps is likely to expand by 16 percent this year, an industry executive says.

"We expect sales for energy-saving ballast lamps in Indonesia to increase to 70 million units this year from 60 million last year," chairman of the Indonesian Electrical Lighting Industry Association (Aperlindo) John Manoppo said on the sidelines of the launching of the Cat's Eye glow-in-the-dark lamps by Megaman on Tuesday.

He said Indonesia was an excellent potential market for the lamps with around 33 million households registered as customers of state electricity company PT PLN.

Manoppo said domestic sales of the lamps needed to be promoted to help the country economize the use of its energy.

Three brands -- Phillips, Chiyoda and Visicom -- are the biggest local producers of the lights.

Meanwhile, marketing manager of PT Simbarco Kencana, the sole agent of Megaman of Germany, Stephen Gunawan, said on Tuesday that his company was striving to penetrate the Indonesian market.

"We are targeting between 5 percent and 10 percent of the market this year," he said.

Data from the association shows that its members manufacture about 500 million light bulbs -- of which 175 million, or 35 percent are sold domestically and the other 325 million are exported.

They also produce 425 million fluorescent lamps -- of which 85 million, or 20 percent, are sold domestically with the other 340 million exported. (004)