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)