Bali Hails Plan To Intensify Economic Ties With Turkey

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Businessmen and exporters from Bali have hailed the government's plan to intensify economic relations with Turkey.

Ni Wayan Puspa, a Balinese furniture and handicraft exporter, said here Tuesday she hoped  the plan could also boost her exports to Turkey.

Anom, another businessman, and Ni Wayan Puspa, complained that their exports to Turkey  had been quite sluggish over the past few years. They were not sure whether it was because of the global financial crisis.

Their exports to European countries, such as Italy, France and Britain, were quite steady and smooth, especially for jewelries , antique furniture, bamboo and wooden handicrafts.

Anom hoped that a Turkish businessmen delegation could come to Bali in the near future to see the potential of Bali.

Putu Bagiada, head of the Balinese provincial trade and industry office's export section said that Bali's non-oil/gas exports to Turkey had dropped up to 51 percent, to 665,000 US dollars (January-July 2010), from 1.3 million US dollars in the same period in 2009.

Bali's exports  to Europe had in fact increased 24 percent to 122.5 million US dollars during January-July 2010, from 92 million US dollars in last year's same period.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said in Jakarta, Monday (Oct 11) that Indonesia and Turkey were to boost their bilateral trade and double its value in the next few years.

The value of Indonesia-Turkey trade was now recorded at two billion US dollars per year but it will be increased to  five billion US dollars by  2013, Hatta said here Monday. 

The resolve to boost bilateral trade was reached during Hatta's recent visit to Turkey  where he had held talks with government officials on enhancing the two countries economic cooperation, he said.(*)