Team to boost exports

Team to boost exports

JAKARTA (JP): The minister of industry and trade has formed a
special team to boost exports of electronic products in this time
of economic difficulty.

The minister, through a decree dated Feb. 27, 1998, said the
special team would start work on April 1, when the new fiscal
year commences.

The team, comprising a supervising board, an executive board
and administration, would also focus on efforts to attract more
electronics-industry investment.

According to official data, Indonesia's exports of electronics
products rose 3.06 percent to US$2.8 billion for the January to
October period of last year from $2.7 billion in the same period
of 1996. Electronics exports stood at $2.9 billion in 1995 and
$2.6 billion in 1994.

However, a large income from electronics exports does not
contribute much to the country's balance of trade as it also
spends a large amount of foreign exchange importing electronic
components.

As an illustration, Indonesia's electronics component imports
stood at $2.3 billion in 1995 and $1.9 billion in 1994. (rid)