RI foreign exchange income rises 4.3%

RI foreign exchange income rises 4.3%

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's foreign exchange earnings from
foreign tourists rose by 4.3 percent in January to US$370.2
million from $354.9 million in the same month of the previous
year.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications, foreign tourists entering Indonesia through
seven major entry points rose 4.3 percent in January to 302,490
from 290,009 in the same month last year.

Growth rates in terms of earnings and the number of tourists
were higher than the 3 percent and 1.6 percent respectively
recorded in January 1996.

Indonesia operates seven major entry points: Entikong, the
Indonesia-Malaysia border crossing in West Kalimantan, and
airports in Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Batam, Surabaya and Manado.

In January, 108,712 overseas tourists entered Indonesia
through the Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, down by 2.2
percent from the 111,106 recorded in January 1996. In the same
period, 9,500 foreign visitors entered the country through
Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, down 11.1 percent from
10,683 in January last year.

The country expects to earn between $7.2 billion and $7.8
billion from 5.3 million to 5.7 million foreign tourists this
year. Between 319,800 and 343,900 international visitors were
expected to visit Indonesia through the seven major entry points
last month.

Indonesia has 83 seaports, 31 airports and one land border
crossing with immigration services.

According to the ministry, the government approved in January
two foreign investment commitments in tourist-related projects
worth $4.6 million and 11 domestic investment commitments worth
Rp 81.44 billion ($33.8 million). (icn)