Jakarta (VNA) - Africa has a huge potential of becoming a destination for Indonesia’smanufacturing exports, besides its traditional markets such as the US, the EU, or China, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Although its purchasing power still falls behind other traditionalexport markets, Africa is also promising in terms of market size growth andtrade competition. Not many exporters have entered the African market, and thecontinent’s trade barriers are not as sophisticated.

Speaking at aconference on March 14, Kadin deputy chairwoman ShintaW Kamdani said that Indonesian exports can enter and compete in Africa, particularlymanufacturing products as African countries generally lack basic manufacture.

She also expressed her hope that the governmentwill create favourable conditions to facilitate more Indonesian businesses and exporters can expand to alternativemarkets like Africa, in addition to creating a preferential tradeagreement with potential African countries.

For his part, Silvano Rumantir, director for corporate and internationalbanking at BNI, said Indonesia’s export potential to Africa totals 8.16 billionUSD, with about 4.56 billion USD still remaining untapped.  Indonesia’s exports to Africa with highcompetitiveness include palm products, soap, coffee, motor vehicles,pipes, sauces, paper and rubber products.

According to Silvano,BNI is helping Indonesian businesses to penetrate the African market as itis offering Indonesian enterprises export-import financing, investment credit,supply chain financing as well as co-financing with other banks./.