REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The rupiah depreciation against the US dollar would benefit exporters, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin). It should become a momentum to encourage export and national logistics to improve its competitiveness, Deputy Chairman of Kadin for trade, Benny Soetrisno said.

"The impact of the rupiah depreciation against the US dollar would make exporters happy, but it would cause hardship to importers. There would be an increase in selling price as they import in dollar and sell in rupiah," Benny said here on Tuesday.

Soetrisno made his statement during the Export Forum 500, an event to connect stakeholders in national export development, facilitated by Kadin.

He stated that as a response to the rupiah depreciation, Kadin would encourage its members to increase export of non-oil and gas commodities and improve the logistic sector to compete with other exporters.

Kadin and the Trade Ministry would continue the negotiation with export destination countries to ease import duties.

"We expect the weakening of rupiah against the US dollar to raise export value up to 16 percent," he remarked.

He revealed that the logistic system link to transportation services has played a strategic role to synchronize development among different sector and regions, to create an inclusive economic growth, and to protect the national economic sovereignty.

Also read: Rupiah can likely strenghten soon: Central Bank

The logistic cost in Indonesia, on the average, would take 25 percent of the total sales of manufactured products, and such a condition has brought negative impact to the national industry's competitiveness.

It was higher than the logistic cost in Thailand at 15 percent, or Malaysia and Vietnam at 13 percent, according to the World Bank.

The high logistic cost in the manufacture sector has reflected several problems, including trade restriction, licensing procedures, and infrastructure gap.

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