Bandung, West Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has decided not to add gas exports to Japan to meet that country`s request following a drop in electricity supply due to recent earthquake and tsunami disasters.

"There will be no extra gas exports to Japan," deputy for trade and industry to the coordinating minister for economic affairs Edy Putra Irawadi said in an economic discussion here on Saturday.

He said the government was bound by provisions in the national budget so that it could not meet Japan`s request.

"We are bound by provisions in the national budget that call for additional domestic gas supply. So other than that will violate the budget provisions," he said.

He said Indonesia would continue to cooperate with Japan including through the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJPA).

"But any problem whether investment will be moved or others will all be done at the IJPA forum," he said.

Edy said after the disasters in Japan electricity supply in that country dropped up to around 10 million Kwh.

The conditions have made industrial capacity in that country to drop up to around 50 percent of the initial capacity.

Industries that suffered capacity reduction are especially auto-industry, electronic and glass industries.

"This will cause imports of materials such as nickel, copper and others including from Indonesia to drop," he said.

Edy said Indonesia`s exports of such materials could drop around 18 percent.

"However the value of exports of other products to Japan would increase until 20 percent so that the drop would actually be compensated for," he said.
(Uu.H-YH/M027)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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