"I think they will grow by more than 20 percent," she said replying to newsmen who asked about her prediction on the country`s non-oil/non-gas exports on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on East Asia (WEF-EA).
She also predicted non-oil/non-gas exports would increase by over 20 percent this year.
She said her optimism was based on the non-oil/non-gas export growth rate in the January-April period of 2011 that reached 30 percent.
The growth figure in the first four months of this year was higher than the average target for 2011 which was only 12 to 16 percent.
"Although the target for this year was set at only 12 to 16 percent, exports grew by 30 percent in the first four months," she said.
Mari said the high export growth was driven by several commodities such as palmoil, rubber, processed cocoa, shoes and garments.
"The rise in export of a number of products such as cocoa, shoes and garments also showed that investment in the past few years had impacted on exports," she said.
In 2012, she said, non-oil/non-gas exports would continue to grow as in 2011 they exceeded the economic and trade growth projections.
"The world economy will be better next year so that trade will also be better," she said.
She said she was optimistic non-oil/non-gas exports in 2012 would be higher than the medium- and long-term targets which were set at 12 percent to 16 percent.
(T.K007/H-YH/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
