Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Trade minister Gita Wirjawan has said it would be a remarkable feat if Indonesia can maintain its export values for 2012 and reach the same volume of exports as last year, considering the state of the global economy.
        
"Of course, we would like to see an increase from $US 230 billion dollars collected last year, but if we can maintain that same amount for this year, then that is already an achievement in itself," Wirjawan said at a press conference for Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) at the Ministry of Trade office in Jakarta on Wednesday.
        
According to Wirjawan, there are still many hurdles to overcome within the global economy, so all efforts need to concentrate on increasing exports in a more focused and direct manner.
       
So far, he said, Indonesian exports have concentrated solely on several traditional markets, such as the United States, Europe, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.
       
That is why, he added, the ministry of trade has also released a policy directed towards countries with non-traditional markets, such as Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
        
"The information gathered from the first quarter of 2012 on the traditional market is still tempting, even if the foundation is not as strong as I would like it to be," he said.
       
He also stated that the increase in exports is judged not only by volume, but also by the amount of value of the goods exported. If that trend increases, Wirjawan said there is a possibility in 6 to18 months to expect a rise in exported goods with added value.
       
"Why should we expect exports with added value for the future? Because of the current western crisis that failed to produce a reasonable solution," he said.(*/M038)


: Nyoman Budhiana

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