Japan's retailers want more goods from RI

Japan's retailers want more goods from RI

JAKARTA (JP): A delegation of the Japanese Chain Stores
Association (JCA) met with representatives of various
associations here yesterday to sound out the possibility of
importing more consumer goods from Indonesia.

Wada Terumasa, chairman of the delegation, said that because
of the steady appreciation of the Japanese yen against the U.S.
dollar, Japanese retailers want to import more cheap consumer
goods, including those from Indonesia.

Yesterday's meeting, organized by the National Agency for
Export Development (NAFED), was attended by executives from a
number of domestic associations, including the associations of
bicycle producers, furniture makers and food and beverages.

Thomas Dharmawan of the food and beverage association said
that the prospect of Indonesia's food products entering Japan
were good. "However, our food producers are still too lazy to
promote their products abroad, including in Japan."

The JCA, which was established in 1967, currently has 138
companies as regular members, which together operate more than
8,000 retail outlets throughout Japan. Another 467 companies are
associate members.

The total sales of the JCA's regular members as of 1993
reached 16.04 trillion yen (US$181.79 billion), of which 6.99
trillion yen, or 43.6 percent, was gained from food products.

In the service sector, Wada also invited Indonesian business
people to open restaurants and cafes in Japan.

NAFED Chairman Rudy Lengkong welcomed Wada's offer to
Indonesia business people, saying that such an interest reflects
the good will of the Japanese private sector to further improve
cooperation between the two countries.

Japan is currently Indonesia's largest trading partner, whose
exports to Japan in 1993 reached US$11.2 billion, or 30.34
percent of its total exports. Indonesia's imports from Japan were
recorded at US$6.3 billion in 1993, representing 22.06 percent of
its total imports. (rid)