Banks Called On To Do Business In Trade Financing

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan has asked national banks to seriously do business in trade financing, particularly for trade in the non-traditional export destination markets such as African countries.

"It would be difficult for us to conduct trade missions without the support of our national banks," the minister told the press in connection with Trade Expo Indonesia 2012 in the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran here on Wednesday.

Gita Wirjawan said Indonesia's exports to African countries which were non traditional markets, had begun to show encouraging developments in line with the increasing competitive edge of Indonesian products.

Based on data at the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Indonesia's exports to African countries increased rapidly in the January - August 2012 period.

During the period, Indonesia's exports to the Ivory Coast increased by 294.98 percent, Libya 374.41 percent, Mauritania 277.95 percent, Guinea 286.37 percent, Haiti 207.73 percent, Ethiopia 152.86  percent, Laos 258,98  percent and Liberia 131.40 percent.(IGT)