Expo of export products

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will hold its ninth export product exhibition at the Jakarta Fairgrounds next month to promote the country's non-oil exports, which have been declining since early this year.

Chairman of the National Agency for Export Development (NAFED) Rudy Lengkong told journalists here yesterday that the six-day exhibition, called Resource Indonesia '94, will be officially opened by Vice President Try Sutrisno on Oct. 25.

At least, 550 local companies, both producers and exporters, have registered for participation in the exhibition, which is expected to attract some 4,500 foreign businessmen from 80 countries, he said.

He said transactions at this year's exhibition may increase by five percent to US$160 million from last year.

Lengkong said Indonesia needs to intensify its promotional activities because its non-oil exports are on downward trends.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the country's non-oil exports during the first quarter of this year declined by 1.61 percent to US$6.3 billion over the same period of last year.(rid)