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)