"Exports can grow at a faster pace thanks to rising investment in the manufacturing sector which will eventually boost the volume and types of export products," Director General of International Industrial Cooperation at the Industry Ministry Agus Tjahajana said here on Friday.
In the year to April industrial product exports rose by 35 percent to US$38.7 billion from a year earlier. The figure was expected to increase to US$98 billion at the end of this year, he said.
He said Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and Australia would be potential markets for Indonesian products.
"The MP3EI (master plan for the acceleration and expansion of Indonesia`s economic development) will hopefully become the engine of the country`s export growth," he said.
The government, he said would make every effort to improve infrastructures to spur exports. In addition, it would also attract investment from countries producing high-technology products.
"The investment climate is getting better. What we have to do now is to improve infrastructures," he said.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show Indonesia`s exports in the five months through May reached US$80.28 billion, a 33.37 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Non-oil/non-gas exports reached US$64.25 billion, up by 31.31 percent. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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