REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The high volume of import threatens the Indonesian Trade Balance. According to Indonesian Statistics, import value in January 2013 reached 15.55 billion USD, rising 6.82 percent from January 2012. In the other hand, export value in the similar period was only 15.38 billion USD, decreasing 1.24 percent from January 2012.

Director of Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Enny Sri Hartati, said the Indonesian Trade Balance was under pressure due to the high dependance on fuel and food imports. Hartati suggests government to decrease the import of fuel and its products. "Government must provide an alternative energy," she said on Monday.

From January to December 2012, the import of crude oil hit 10.8 billion IDR, while the import of oil products reached 28.1 billion USD. The imports contributed to 20.6 percent of total import in 2012.

The import of food also pressed the balance. In 2012, government imported 1.8 million tonnes of rice worth 945.6 million USD.

In transportation sector, Indonesian airline Lion Air planned to import a significant amount of Airbus cost 23.8 billion USD. The plan can heighten up the deficit of Indonesian Trade Balance 2013.

Executive Director of Monetary Management Department at BI, Hendar, said the central bank still studied the detail of the purchase plan. He said that import did not always depreciate IDR exchange rate if the financing did not come from domestic foreign exchange market.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika