Minister wants increase in exports of motorcycles

The countrys motorcycle industry has recorded a leapfrogging increase in production over the past several years, but the industry is still a minor player in export, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said.

“The countrys production of motorcycles has increased 800 percent in the past three years but exports averaged only 300,000 units year,” the minister said here on Thursday.

Motorcycle sales in Indonesia averaged 6 million units a year that means exports are only 5 percent of the domestic sales, he said.

Airlangga said currently the country had 90 million units of motorcycle on the street or more than one third of the population of around 250 million.

The number shows that motorcycles have become the main alternative of public transport in the country, he said.

Growing demand for transport service has contributed to the expansion of motor vehicle industry including motorcycle industry in the country, he said.

In the past five years , motorcycle industry in Indonesia has grown significantly with production averaging more than 7 million units per year.

The industry ministry said it is optimistic the rising trend would continue in the coming several years.

Airlangga said with the increase, the countrys position as the third largest producer of motorcycle in the world after China and India would not change.

He said motorcycle industrialists need to expand research and development to keep pace with the market requirement domestically and internationally.