Goldstar to establish cathode ray tube factory in Bekasi

JAKARTA (JP): Goldstar Co. Ltd. of South Korea, in cooperation with PT Astra International, will start to construct a cathode ray tube (CRT) plant in Bekasi, West Java, with an investment of US$165 million in December.

"The CRT plant, which is the first in Indonesia, will have an annual production capacity of 2.1 million pieces of color picture tubes for television and 0.8 million pieces of color display tubes for computer monitors," Goldstar's director for the Asian region, Henn H. Suh, told reporters yesterday.

He said that Goldstar plans to gradually expand its CRT production capacity to some 10 million pieces per annum with a total investment of around $825 million in Indonesia.

Astra will most likely hold a 10-percent stake in the new plant, he said, adding that Goldstar will welcome any efforts by Astra's to increase its stake.

"We plan to export 70 percent of our production to our own color television factories in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Vietnam, South Korea and Mexico, as well as to other customers in ASEAN countries," he said, adding that the planned exports are expected to help the country gain $100 million in foreign exchange per annum.

"The remaining 30 percent of our production will be supplied to various color television and computer producers in Indonesia," he said.

According to Suh, the planned factory will be Goldstar's first CRT plant outside Seoul. "In Korea, Goldstar has a total capacity of 10 million of CRT pieces per year," he said.

He said the Bekasi plant is scheduled to start production in June 1996.

In addition to CRT products, the factory will also produce thin film transistors and plasma display panels.

Goldstar, in cooperation with Astra under a joint venture PT Goldstar-Astra, currently produces refrigerators, television sets, washing machines and air conditioners.

Another Goldstar affiliate, PT Sinar Lucky Plastic Ind., produces chemicals. (fhp)