We need to boost our trade balance surplus."Cipanas, West Java (ANTARA News) - The government is preparing to take a number of steps to boost exports in a bid to promote a surplus in the countrys trade balance, a senior economic minister has said.
"We need to boost our trade balance surplus. Today, the BPS (central statistics agency) announced that our trade balance, once again, enjoys a surplus of around US$40 million, which means that our exports have increased," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said after a cabinet meeting on economic affairs at the Presidential Palace here on Monday.
At the meeting, which discussed the state of the economy, President Yudhoyono directed the relevant ministries to seek new export commodities and markets for Indonesian companies.
"The President asked the relevant ministries to search for new export commodities and markets in the next two weeks in a bid to increase exports," Hatta noted.
Efforts to boost national exports are partly aimed at reducing the effect of the US Federal Reserves plan to limit its monetary stimulus programme, he added.
"To summarise, the meeting discussed the latest economic situation, including how to manage the economy in the wake of global developments," he said.
The meeting, which started at 10.00 a.m. and ended at 3.00 p.m., also discussed the progress achieved by the governments economic policy package launched in August, he noted.
(Reporting by Panca Hari Prabowo/Uu.INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
