Non-oil and gas exports to reach $45b in 2002, says BPEN

Non-oil and gas exports to reach $45b in 2002, says BPEN

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Agency for Export Development (BPEN) said on Tuesday
that non-oil and gas exports would increase by 2.5 percent to 3
percent this year, to US$45 billion from $43.4 billion last year.

BPEN chairman Gusmardi Bustami told reporters at his office
that the main export destinations for the country's non-oil and
gas exports included the U.S., Japan and European countries.

However, he said that if the current floods hitting several
parts of the country persisted for longer, the agency might have
to readjust the export figure target.

He said that the floods had affected the delivery of raw
materials to manufacturing companies.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reported last week that
total exports fell by 9.8 percent to US$56.03 billion last year,
the largest percentage decline in 12 years due to recessions in
the U.S. and other major export markets.

The decline in exports, however, did not cause a serious
impact to the economy as domestic consumption remained buoyant
and had been the main economic growth engine in 2001.

The government still hopes this year that domestic consumption
will become a major contributor to economic growth.

Elsewhere, Gusmardi said that information on international
markets and training about product quality were important for the
country's exporters to grab export opportunities.

He said that BPEN, in collaboration with the Japan
International Cooperation Agency and East Java's administrations
would open the first regional training and promotion center in
Surabaya by this January.

He hoped that 2,000 people to 3,000 people would be trained in
the Surabaya Center every year because there were many small- and
medium-scale enterprises in East Java.

Gusmardi added that BPEN would also open some regional
training and promotion centers in Surabaya, Medan, Makassar and
Banjarmasin.