Indonesia has potential as biggest fish exporter

Antara News, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 02:09 WIB

Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA News) - Consultant of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Erik Hempel said Indonesia may be the world`s biggest fish exporting country.

"We know that Indonesia has big fish resources and therefore may have the potential to become the most fish exporter," Erik Hempel told a national workshop in Banda Aceh Tuesday.

Erik Hembel said the impost important key to become an exporter is the need to develop information and international trade regulations.

The per capita fish consumption in the world had been increasing and predicted that in 2010 the world fish production will reach 150 tons, so that the chance to become the biggest fish exporting country may be realized.

But several considerations need to be noted namely that fish need always to be fresh.

The fish imports and exports of the developing and developed countries are in a good balance.

It has been estimated that the biggest fish exporting country in 2007 is China with 11 percent, followed by Norway seven percent, and Thailand six percent, while Indonesia with only two percent in 2007, ranking only the 12th in the world`s fish exports.

In the meantime, the biggest fish importing country in the same year are the developed countries with 79 percent, the European Union with 43 percent, and the developing countries only 21 percent.

Bali to produce 110,000 tons of fish

Antara News, Friday, June 18, 2010 17:09 WIB

(ANTARA/GreenLee WM)Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali has a production target of 110,000 tonnes of fish in 2010, which increased from the previous year which was only 106 000 tons, a regional fishery official said.

This target is expected to be achieved, given the fishermen and freshwater fish farming had made maximum efforts to increase production, said Head of Fisheries and Maritime office of the Province of Bali, Gusti Putu Ir Nuriartha said here Friday.

He said the increased production of the fisheries sector will have positive impact on efforts to overcome poverty for fish farmers and fishermen who live on the coast.

RI ranked 11th as world fishery exporter

Antara News, Thursday, May 6, 2010 16:18 WIB

Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is ranked 11th on the list of the world`s fishery exporter countries with exports worth US$1.79 billion, a trade official said.

"Indonesia`s market share in the world`s fishery exports accounts for 1.74 percent of the world`s total fishery exports," Djoko Purnomo, head of the fishery export affairs of the Directorate General of External Trade, said here on Thursday.

He said that the world`s fishery exports in 2008 were recorded at US$72.67 billion, or an increase of 7.94 percent if compared with that in 2005 which stood at US$57.66 billion.

Indonesia`s fishery product export destinations included the United States (29.04 percent), Japan (16.90 percent), China (3.66 percent), Hong Kong (3.14 percent), Singapore (3.05 percent), Thailand 2(.34 percent), Malaysia (2.23 percent) and South Korea (2.18 percent).

The country`s fishery exports were dominated by shrimps worth US$845 million (47 percent) followed by frozen fish valued at 228 million dollars, or 12 percent, fresh fish worth 225 million dollars (12 percent), fillet, fish meat and seaweeds.

According to Purnomo, Indonesia`s major exporter provinces in Indonesia`s western region included East Java, Jakarta, North Sumatra, Lampung and Central Java.

In the eastern region, major exporter provinces are South Sulawesi, Bali, Maluku, North Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi, he said.

EU to lift mercury testing on RI edible fish products

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/23/2010 10:51 AM

Indonesian edible fish products destined for European markets will no longer be subject to rigorous mercury detection inspections, an association says.

“Indonesia has managed to relax a European Union (EU) regulation — starting April 16. (Indonesia’s)

sea catches will no longer be subject to mercury inspections,” Indonesian Fisheries Processing

and Marketing Entrepreneurs Association chairman Thomas Darmawan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The heavy metal detection requirement has been in place since 2006. The regulation was passed in 2006 after an EU commission team found that fisheries products imported from Indonesia and intended for human consumption spoiled quickly and contained high levels of histamine.

The inspections also revealed that Indonesian authorities did not carry out reliable inspections of fish, in particular to detect histamine and heavy metals, the 2006 Commission Decision said.

A letter sent last month by the Food Standards Agency, an independent government department with headquarters in the United Kingdom, said the European Commission proposed to revoke the 2006 Commission

Decision, which requires heavy metal testing on all imports of non-aquaculture fishery products from Indonesia.

“The Commission has now received appropriate guarantees from the Indonesian authorities that controls are in place to ensure products meet EU requirements as regards to heavy metals,” the letter said.

“Also, the results of import controls at EU Border Inspection Posts indicate that imports are satisfactory.”

Although it lifts a mercury testing requirement, the EU has increased the strictness of antibiotics testing on farmed fishery products from Indonesia.

It now stipulates that a minimum 20 percent of consignments be tested, up from 10 percent, according

to Thomas.

“The issue of antibiotics is actually an old problem,” he said.

“We actually have improved now. But maybe an [EU] inspection team found unsatisfactory results during their visit here last November.”

The FSA in its letter said that at least 20 percent of consignments of farmed fisheries products from Indonesia intended for human consumption would be subjected at Border Inspection Posts to sampling for testing for pharmacologically active substances, in particular chloramphenicol, metabolites of nitrofurans and tetracyclines (including tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortecycline).

According to Thomas, Indonesia exported US$146.6 million worth of shrimp, $34.29 million of tuna, $21.24 million of seaweed and $100.54 million of processed fish (excluding tuna and shrimp), to Europe in 2009.

Central Statistics Agency data showed that non-oil and gas exports to the EU stood at $2.59 billion in the first two months of this year, up by 37.8 percent from the $1.88 billion booked in that period last year.

Indonesia’s Seaweed Export Value to China up by 400 Percent

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 22 April, 2010 | 16:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar: China has become South Sulawesi’s biggest seaweed market. This can be seen from the export value that skyrocketed from US$ 2,574 million in 2008 to US$ 10,603 million 2009, a 400 percent increase.

“The reason is simple; China has just imported seaweed directly from us,” said Arman Arfah, chairman of South Sulawesi Farmer and Seaweed Processor Association, yesterday.

Earlier, Indonesia’s main destination for seaweed exports was the Philippines. Then, China imported the commodity from the Philippines. However, since the Indonesian Seaweed Forum was held in Makassar in 2008, Indonesia began exporting directly to China.

The international forum is held every three years. The next assembly will take place in 2011.

In general, the export value of Indonesia’s seaweed from 2008 to 2009 increased by five percent. The total export value in 2009 amounted to US$ 17,619 million.

Indonesia is ranked fourth in the world’s seaweed exporter list. Indonesia’s major seaweed market is China, the Philippines, South Korea, Chile, and Vietnam.

The government continues to intensify programs improving seaweed production. At present, the country produces two million tons of wet seaweed per year. Meanwhile the Maritime and Fishery Ministry’s target for 2014 is 10 million tons per year.

The government is also making efforts to improve and set a standard quality. The world’s demand in wet seaweed is six million tons per year.

To avoid excessive production if the government’s target is achieved, the South Sulawesi Farmer and Seaweed Processor Association is implementing a program promoting the consumption of seaweed and healthy fibrous foods.

“Seaweed is healthy, so we should not export all of it,” Arman said.

FADHILAH NAZIF

Bantaeng Exports Sea Cucumber to Hong Kong

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 29 March, 2010 | 14:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bantaeng: Bantaeng regency in South Sulawesi is preparing its first sea cucumber export to Hong-Kong. This follows the the regency’s succeess in exporting fish in the form of frozen surimi to Japan and kapok seeds to Korea.

The export of 4.2 tons of sea cucumber with a value of more than Rp 3 billion will be carried out by UD Mamampang Jaya, a local company in partnership with companies from the Philippines and Malaysia. Saing, the head of the company, confirmed the export to Bantaeng Regent, H M. Nurdin Abdullah, last week.

According to Saing, who came with his partners from Malaysia and Philippines, the sea cucumbers are obtained from areas around Bantaeng Regency, like Selayar, as well as several other provinces in Indonesia, including Papua.

“We collect the sea cucumber from various regions and provinces,” said Saing. He added that the export is waiting for the administration process to be completed this week.

Regent Nurdin plans to launch the Hong-Kong export in a special event. He welcomes Mamampang Jaya’s readiness. Even though the sea cucumber does not come from Bantaeng area, this shows that a local company is capable of exports.

“We will keep on encouraging various industries so that region can advance,” said Nurdin. According to Nurdin, besides sea cucumbers, in April taro will also be exported to Japan.

Sea cucumber is known as a marine export commodity which is being developed in a big scale, given its high economic value in markets overseas. Sea cucumber is exported in the dry form. Besides Hong Kong, sea cucumber export destinations are Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.

ELIK | ANT

Tanjung Priok Offers Indonesia New Car Shipment Service

Jakarta Globe, Irvan Tisnabudi, February 14, 2010

Honda Freed minivans due to be exported to Singapore prior to loading at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. The state-owned port operator hopes the volume of vehicle traffic through the port grows as a result of its new transshipment service. (Bloomberg Photo/Dimas Ardian)

The Tanjung Priok port car terminal on Thursday began offering new transshipment services in a bid to challenge rival regional ports.

Richard Lino, president director of state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II, said the new service and the port’s strategic location would help it compete against ports in Singapore and Malaysia.

“In the past, car exporters in countries like India and Thailand have used the transshipment service in those two countries [Singapore and Malaysia], but Indonesia now has a similar service,” he said.

Transshipment is the shipment of goods to an intermediate destination for later shipment to another locale. It is often used to gather multiple small shipments headed to a single destination into a bigger shipment.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono said he believed the transshipment service for cars would make the Tanjung Priok port more attractive than its rivals.

“The Tanjung Priok port has always been an attractive port for shipping vehicles to and from Southeast Asia and Australia, as it is more strategic in terms of location compared to its rivals,” he said.

Pelindo II did not reveal the price or nature of the investment required to begin offering transshipment services.

The first ship to use the new service was the Golden Fang out of India. It unloaded 394 of its 1,091 cars onto the Rocky Highway ship, heading to New Zealand and Australia. The rest were unloaded for sale on Indonesia’s domestic market.

“The tariff for unloading, then loading the car again is Rp 600,000 [$64] per car,” said Gunta Prabawa, chief of the port’s car terminal.

The port can unload 130 cars per hour and load 90 per hour. The terminal has a parking capacity of 6,000 cars.

In 2009, a total of 112,983 cars passed through the terminal: 55,670 were imported and 57,313 were exported. This was a sharp decline from 180,000 in 2008.

Aviliani, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance, welcomed the new transshipment service.

“It provides a more efficient cost alternative for the exporters, and we’ll be able to enjoy the added revenue from the shipments,” she said.

However, she cautioned that the service presented a challenge also: loading and unloading the increased number of cars with appropriate care.

“We can’t fall behind the ports in Malaysia in Singapore when it comes to fulfilling international standards for the cars being loaded and unloaded here,” Aviliani said.

Recovery Seen As Indonesian Exports Hit A Record High

Jakarta Globe, Irvan Tisnabudi & Ardian Wibisono, February 02, 2010

A worker passing a pile of containers at Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta, Monday. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)

Indonesian exports hit an all-time monthly high of $13.3 billion in December as commodity prices rose in line with the global economic recovery, the Central Statistics Agency said on Monday.

“We’ve never achieved a monthly figure of more than $13 billion,” said Rusman Heriawan, the chairman of the agency, known as the BPS. “The highest figure before this was $12.9 billion in May 2008.”

Exports in December jumped 23.9 percent from November and a dramatic 49.8 percent from December 2008, when they plunged 20 percent after the outbreak of the global financial crisis.

Full-year 2009 exports still fell 15 percent to $116.49 billion.

Rusman said exports of key commodities boosted December’s figure. Shipments of crude palm oil increased by $1.1 billion month-on-month, copper rose $284 million and coal exports went up by $268 million. “This is a sign of the global economic recovery,” he said. “Our exports staged a turnaround in the fourth quarter of the year.”

Japan was the biggest buyer of non-oil and gas exports in December, taking $1.25 billion. China ranked second with $1.19 billion and the United States third with $1.04 billion.

December imports totaled $10.33 billion, a 17.2 percent increase from November.

Indonesia’s 2009 trade surplus totaled $19.63 billion, more than double the $7.82 billion in 2008.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, chief economist at the state-run Danareksa Research Institute, said developed economies had recovered significantly in the fourth quarter of 2009. “The strong exports in the fourth quarter and in December showed that the recovery is not just in sentiment but is real,” Purbaya said.

The country’s non-service sector should take advantage of the strong demand created by the global recovery by increasing production, he said.

“Currently, I see that the banks’ intermediation function has not fully recovered. The country’s real [non-service] sector might not take advantage of the global situation if they can’t expand their businesses due to high interest rates applied by lenders,” he warned.

Helmi Arman, an economist at PT Bank Danamon, said the longer-term trend showed that export earnings would continue to rise, driven by demand for commodities such as coal, crude oil and palm oil.

“Such changes in the structure of exports could lessen any deterioration of the trade surplus going forward,” he said. “This is because the need for raw material imports bound for re-export will be lower, compared to if exports were mostly comprised of higher-value added goods, which have higher import content.”

Indonesia`s fishery products facing tariff barriers in Europe

Antara News, Saturday, January 9, 2010 07:06 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s fishery products are still hampered with tariff barriers to compete with other countries in the European Union and the Middle East, an official said.

"The tariff barriers were in the form of high import duties that caused the competitiveness of Indonesia`s fishery products to become low," Overseas Marketing Director of the Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry, Saut P Hutagalung, said here on Friday.

He said that there were several European and Middle East countries which imposed high tariff rates on Indonesia`s exports. This caused Indonesia`s fishery exports to face difficulties to compete with those coming from competitor countries like Vietnam, Thailand and China.

At present, European Union nations imposed 24 percent import duty on canned tuna and 12 percent on fresh tuna, he said.

A high tariff rate which reached 40 percent is being imposed by Iran on Indonesia`s canned fish products.

"We are now trying to cooperate with European Union. Recently, during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s visit to Brussels, the president asked Indonesia`s counterpart to lower their tariff rates on its fishery products," Hutagalung said.

In the meantime, chairman of the Indonesian Fishery Society (MPN), Shidiq Moeslim acknowledged that Indonesia`s fishery products, particularly canned tuna, were still liable to high tariff rates when they enter Europe.

Fishery exports to reach $2.9b in 2010: Ministry

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/07/2010 6:09 PM

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is aiming to increase the total export value of fishery products to US$2.9 billion this year, from $2.3 billion last year.

Fishery minister Fadel Muhammad said Thursday the surge in exports would be backed by the recovery of Indonesia’s traditional export markets such as the United States, Japan and countries in the European Union.

“We are also branching out to the lucrative Middle Eastern market,” Fadel said on the sidelines of a press gathering at the ministry.

The Middle Eastern market has the potential to contribute up to 12 percent of Indonesia’s total export value of fishery products, he said.

Indonesia’s fishery exports in 2008 reached $2.6 billion, up by 15 percent from $2.25 billion in the previous year.

The ministry’s data shows that as of November 2009 the fishery sector has contributed Rp 128.8 trillion or 3.12 percent of the country’s GDP. (adh)

Indian seafood exports need validation that fish catch is legal

Antara News, Friday, January 1, 2010 15:58 WIB

New Delhi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Indian seafood exports to the European Union now require certificates validating that the fish catch is not illegal and unregulated.

The validation would be required for fish, shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and octopus, the Marine Exports Product Development Authority (MPEDA), which would issue the certificates, said.

This is being done in line with a new EU rule that aims at regulating the world fisheries sector and discouraging illegal fishing. India exports seafood worth Rs 2,800 crore (US$603.5 million) to the 27-nation EU market, accounting for one-third of the country's total marine products overseas consignments.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - Jan 1, 2010
published by Asia Pulse

Cultivated coral reefs now also exported

Antara News, Friday, December 25, 2009 13:01 WIB

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - The coral reefs cultivated by coastal fishermen in Serangan village, Denpasar, have found their way to the export market.

"We have been applying the technique of transplantation in coral reef cultivation and the result is that the products are now exported to Europe," Chairman of the Association of Serangan Fishermen Wayan Patut said here Thursday.

He also said that trading coral reefs is actually against the law, as it harms natural conservation.

However, by applying the transplantation technique in coral reef cultivation, the farmers produced the reefs in such a way that they could be locally marketed and even exported.

"We have been cultivating coral reefs in this way for many years including for natural conservation, in the Serangan waters," one of the farmers said.

"Besides saving nature, the technique also has its economic value, so that the farmers became enthusiastic in both cultivating and rehabilitating coral reefs," he added.

He said he could tell the difference between observed coral reefs from the saleable cultivated ones, by monitoring the reefs and rehabilitating them.

"We have succeeded in cultivating coral reefs of different colors like brown, green, yellow, and other shades," he added.

He said the coral reefs had already been exported to various countries, like the United States, and are also marketed at local markets. Coral reefs are normally used to decorate sea water and fresh water aquariums.

Ports ready to operate 24/7 by January 2010: Officials

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/16/2009 9:28 AM

A load off my mind: Loading and unloading activities at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. State port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) II plans to develop Tanjung Priok port into an international hub port with docks 18 meters deep, starting next year. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

The government plans to start running Indonesia’s ports around-the-clock by early January to speed up customs clearance and reduce logistics costs, officials said Tuesday.

“All ports will operate 24 hours, starting from Tanjung Priok Port [in Jakarta],” said Edy Putra Irawadi, deputy in charge of industry and trade to the coordinating economic minister, and chairman of the preparation team for the National Single Window (NSW).

The NSW is an integrated public service system to give importers and exporters simpler access to services.

Launched in December 2007, the NSW is designed to shorten the time needed to verify the identity of importers to a maximum of seven-and-a-half hours, or one working day.

Importers previously had to wait several days for customs clearance.

The NSW has now been implemented at Tanjung Priok Port, Tanjung Perak Port in East Java, Tanjung Emas Port in West Java, Belawan Port in North Sumatra and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten.

Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Radjasa said last week the fifth phase of the NSW would be launched in January 2010 to ensure the management of all imports and exports was integrated in one portal.

Anwar Suprijadi, the Finance Ministry’s director general of customs and excise, said his office was ready to work around-the-clock to support the ports’ new operating hours.

“The ministry regulation [on the operating hours] is up to the finance minister,” he said after a seminar with the Priority Businesses Association (APJP), which has 71 members prioritized to run export-import businesses.

Businesses have often complained that inefficient public services at ports push business costs up.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in her speech Tuesday that importers and exporters should help the government protect the ports by reporting any misconduct.

Economist Aviliani said the NSW would create greater efficiency cut costs and improve investment competitiveness.

“These conditions are expected to attract investors to Indonesia,” she said.

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Indonesian Exports Surge in October to Highest Level in 2009

The Jakarta Globe, Roffie Kurniawan

A container ship waits to unload its cargo at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. October was Indonesia’s best month for exports so far in 2009. (AFP Photo)

Indonesia’s exports rebounded strongly in October, growing on an annual basis for the first time in 12 months, the Central Statistics Agency said on Tuesday.

The country’s exports in October totaled $11.88 billion, a 22.7 percent increase over September, and a 10.1 percent rise over October last year.

The statistics agency, also known as the BPS, said non-oil and gas exports in October contributed the most to the increase in overall exports.

Non-oil and gas exports totaled $10.16 billion in October, an increase of 25.5 percent from September and 14.1 percent over the same month last year.

Electrical equipment, coal and rubber were the leading products.

“Exports in October were the highest so far in 2009,” said BPS chairman Rusman Heriawan.

It was the second time this year that monthly exports breached the $10 billion level, he said. Exports rose above $10 billion in August before declining in September due to the Idul Fitri holiday.

However, exports for the first 10 months of the year were still down 22.3 percent compared with the same period in 2008, with non-oil and gas exports down 15.1 percent.

Singapore-based Citigroup economist Johanna Chua said a low base number partly explained the sharp year-over-year rise in October, noting that the global financial crisis was setting in last October.

The results were largely boosted by non-oil and gas exports that outperformed “consensus expectations for a moderating 5.1 percent contraction,” she said.

“Non-oil and gas exports picked up month-on-month for all destinations, with the largest gains registered for non-oil and gas exports to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia, as consumer and business confidence gained ground,” Johanna said.

The BPS said imports also increased on a monthly basis. In October, imports stood at $9.47 billion, up 11.16 percent from the previous month.

Non-oil and gas imports stood at $7.55 billion in October, up 22.9 percent from September.

Meanwhile, imports in the first 10 months of the year totaled $77.75 billion, down 30.8 percent compared with the same period last year.

Non-oil and gas imports in the 10-month period reached $62.7 billion, down 25.6 percent.

As exports expanded, the country’s trade surplus widened to $2.41 billion in October, from $1.27 billion in September.

“We expect a narrowing in the trade and current account surpluses toward year-end as a pick-up in Indonesia’s domestic demand leads to a more sizeable imports improvement,” Chua said.

RI targeting position of world`s biggest fish producer

Antara News, Monday, November 16, 2009 19:50 WIB

Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) has set a target to make Indonesia a world biggest fish producer in 2012, a cabinet minister said.

DKP Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Monday that the plan to make Indonesia a world biggest fish producer was part of the DKP targets in its coming years` work programs.

"Indonesia should become a center of fish production so that it could control the world`s fish trade," the minister said.

He said that Indonesia had the marine and fresh water potentials which were not possessed by all countries. Thus, it would not face significant barriers to achieve the target.

"Facilities at fish auction markets, access roads and fishermen`s fuel tanks to meet the need for fishing activities must also be improved and be made complete," the minister said.

Besides, he said, his ministry was also adopting a special program called `minapolitan`, a program which combines agriculture and fisheries aimed at raising the income of farmers and fishermen.

The minapolitan scheme could be carried out, among others, with a `mina padi` program where fields were planted with rice while at the same time were also sowed with fish seeds so that the fields could yield rice and fish at the same time.

Vietnam Eyes Significant Orders At Dubai Seafood Show

Bernama, by Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Vietnam, which is aiming to export US$4 billion worth of seafood this year, hopes to secure significant orders at the upcoming Dubai Seafood Expo 2009.

Under the umbrella of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep), a total of 11 Vietnamese seafood exporters are set to showcase their high quality products at the event.

Its Deputy General Secretary, Nguyen Hoai Nam, said players in the Vietnamese fisheries sector were taking major strides in improving product quality and ensuring continuous double shipments to demanding markets such as the Middle East, East Europe, Africa and South America.

They are also not forgetting traditional markets like China, United States, European Union, Japan, Canada and South Korea, said Nguyen ahead of the three-day seafood show beginning Oct 12 in Madinat Jumeirah here.

Vietnam, a member of Asean, which groups 10 Southeast Asian nations, is further aiming to boost its exports of various items, including frozen seafood, such as Pangasius fillet, shrimp, Cephalopus and marine fish.

In 2008, Vietnam recorded US$62.3 million in seafood exports to the Middle East, including US$28.8 million to the United Arab Emirates, according to Vasep.

Fisheries export is being positioned as the nation's fourth largest hard currency earner.

Organised by Orange Fairs & Events, the seafood show attracts participants from other Asean members like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Indonesia Ornamental Fish Show 2009

The Jakarta Post,

Venue: Jakarta Convention Center - Date: Thu, 10/08/2009 - Sun, 10/11/2009

The Indonesia Ornamental Fish Show 2009 (IOFS), an official exhibition and business from of the Ministry of the Marine and Fishery, is designed to promote the richness and multi-variety of hundreds of Indonesian ornamental fish and aquatic products. As the largest archipelago country in the world, Indonesia has been a leading fish ornamental and aquatic products exporter to all parts of the world.

Besides showcasing ornamental fish and aquatic products, the show is also displaying supporting products and accessories of ornamental fish.

Officials: Economic Growth May Drop To 3% as Exports Tumble

The Jakarta Globe, Dion Bisara & Bloomberg, March 27, 2009

The national economy may only grow by 3 percent this year because of problems caused by rapidly shrinking exports, which are expected to slump to record lows this year, two senior officials said on Friday.

The comments are the lowest predictions so far about growth this year and provide yet another contrast to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s rosier hopes early in the month, when he projected the economy could grow by between 4.5 and 5 percent.

Speaking in a morning press conference, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said that the economy might expand by as little as 3 percent this year, as exports slumped and commodity prices plunged from record levels. The value of overseas shipments may shrink between 15 percent and 20 percent in 2009, she said.

Her comments were later echoed by Miranda Goeltom, a senior deputy governor at Bank Indonesia, the central bank. She said BI might revise its growth prediction to between 3 percent and 4 percent this year, from an earlier BI projection of 4 percent to 4.5 percent growth in 2009.

“The growth decline was due to falling exports and a lack of foreign-exchange liquidity weighing on investment,” she said.

Anwar Supriyadi, director general of customs, said that by March 20, data from ports showed that quarterly export volumes and values had dropped by 30 percent and 38 percent, respectively. “They will continue to fall as the economic slump continues,” he said.

Exports fell between November and January as foreign demand slowed. The International Monetary Fund has said that the global economy would contract by 0.5 percent to 1 percent this year.

This is a downward revision of 1 percent to 1.5 percent from the IMF’s January World Economic Outlook, reflecting just how rapid and severe the global recession has become.

But Goeltom said that the stimulus package could act as a buffer, preventing growth from slowing further.

“Whether growth is near 3 percent or not, we’ll have to wait until the stimulus package kicks in,” she said. “But we’re still one of the only countries in the region that’s likely to post positive growth.”

The government hopes that the disbursement in April of Rp 12.2 trillion ($1.06 billion) in infrastructure funding — part of the Rp 73.3 trillion fiscal stimulus package — will create jobs and stimulate household spending, which accounts for about 65 percent of national growth.