Exports in 2006 Predicted to be US$100 Billion
Wednesday, 03 January, 2007 | 17:19 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Exports during November 2006 reached US$8.92 billion, an increase of 2.37 percent compared to the previous month.

And when compared to exports in the same month in 2005, last November's exports rose by 29.59 percent.

According to Rusman Heriawan, Head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the export rise in November 2006 was the highest last year.

“Cumulatively, the value of exports from January to November 2006 was US$91.19 billion (Rp820 trillion), an increase of 17.61 percent compared to 2005,” he said yesterday (2/1).

Rusman said he was optimistic that export value up until the end of 2006 would reach US$100 billion or around Rp900 trillion.

BPS has predicted that export value in December 2006 will go up because for the last nine years, December's exports have risen compared to those of November.

Rusman acknowledged, in the second half of 2006, Indonesia's exports were slower compared to the first half of the year.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, Head of Economic Research at the Danareksa Research Institute, said export growth during 2007 was predicted to be slower compared to last year.

KURNIASIH BUDI | RR ARIYANI