RI records $527 million surplus

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's recorded a US$527 million trade surplus in January.

The minister of industry and trade, Tunky Ariwibowo, said exports in January reached $4.24 billion, $1.4 billion of which came from the oil and gas sector.

Indonesian imports were worth $3.67 billion, of which the oil and gas sector accounted for $438 million.

The surplus was $159 million more in January last year, when exports were worth $3.6 billion and imports $3.1 billion.

Tunky said the government was formulating steps to boost the growth of non-oil exports.

He said, Indonesia's non-oil export growth was only 9 percent a year, less than the 15 percent to 19 percent targeted in the current Five-Year Development Plan.

"The drop in non-oil and gas export growth was caused by a decline in the import rate of Indonesia's trade partners, the development of new exporter markets and the strengthening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar," Tunky said.

He said the government would provide financial support to exporters.

The government was also planning increase the number of trade promotion centers from 13 to 23 and the number of trade attaches from 25 to 33, he said

Tunky was talking after reporting to President Soeharto on his recent visits to Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates where he launched Indonesian export promotions. (pwn)