Energy-saving light market to grow 16%

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)