Tag: asia

  • Thai MVNOs must use fingerprint SIM registration

    Thai MVNOs must use fingerprint SIM registration

    Thailand’s MVNOs will need to implement a new online fingerprint ID registration system for both prepaid and postpaid mobile SIMs by March, after regulator the NBTC declined to exempt them from complying with the new registration regime.

    The online registration system is being introduced as a requirement for both mobile operators and MVNOs as part of an NBTC decision from late last year.

    But MVNOs had been calling on the regulator to exempt them from the order on the grounds that it will impose additional costs that may make it difficult for them to compete with the major operators.

    NBTC secretary general Takorn Tantasith as stating that the regulator has decided that consumer interests must be put first, and a fingerprint system will be required to ensure greater security in mobile banking as Thailand moves towards becoming a cashless society.

    He also said operators will be able to deduct the costs of implementing the system from their annual universal service obligation fee.

    The new online fingerprint ID system will complement the existing compulsory SIM registration system. While operators are required to implement access to the system, end-users will choose whether to submit their fingerprints.

  • South Korea Dec department store sales rebound from Nov, reverse two declining years

    South Korea Dec department store sales rebound from Nov, reverse two declining years

    Sales at South Korea’s department stores in December rebounded from November on year-end gift purchases, trade ministry data showed on Monday, while sales for the whole year ended on a positive note, reversing two years of decline.

    Combined sales last month at department stores run by Hyundai Department Store, Lotte Shopping and Shinsegae Co rose 3.3 percent on-year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, bouncing from a 2.8 percent decline in November.

    Nearly all product categories saw rises in sales, which were led by offshore brand items and food products.

    Retail data has shown consumption has not fallen markedly since an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye engulfed the country late last year, although consumer sentiment is at its worst in nearly eight years.

    The central bank governor, Lee Ju-yeol, said earlier this month private consumption is likely to head down in 2017 due to uncertainties at home and abroad, hampering overall growth.

    Discount store sales, meanwhile, slipped 1.9 percent in December over a year earlier, the same trade ministry data showed, although not as bad as November’s 6.1 percent decline.

    In 2016, department store sales rose 3.3 percent, breaking two years of falls and rebounding from a 1.2 percent fall in 2015. Demand for luxury goods and large household appliances such as televisions and refrigerators bolstered sales, the ministry said.

    Discount store sales fell 1.4 percent in 2016, declining for a fifth straight year, the data said, as more consumers bought food items online from a widening variety of vendors.

    In 2015, discount store sales dropped 2.1 percent.

  • Mobile contributed 6.2% to Bangladesh GDP in 2015

    Mobile contributed 6.2% to Bangladesh GDP in 2015

    Mobile technologies and services generated 6.2% of the GDP of Bangladesh in 2015, a contribution that amounted to around $13 billion of economic value, according to GSMA Intelligence.

    In the same year, mobile operators and the ecosystem provided employment to more than 760,000 people across Bangladesh, the report further stated. One-third of this was created directly in the ecosystem, while the rest is generated indirectly in other sectors as a result of the demand for production inputs generated by the mobile sector.

    “GSMA Intelligence findings clearly demonstrate the substantial contribution that mobile makes to the Bangladeshi economy,” GSMA head of spectrum Brett Tarnutzer said.

    “By systematically pursuing a policy framework that increases certainty, acknowledges market realities and removes regulatory barriers to investment and innovation, the Bangladeshi government and its citizens stand to achieve so much in the coming years.”

    In terms of public contribution, the mobile ecosystem generated about 10% of the government’s revenue in 2015, valued at $2.42 billion through general taxation, mobile-specific taxes, and spectrum licenses.

    Mobile’s overall impact includes the direct impact of the mobile ecosystem as well as the indirect impact and the increase in productivity brought about by the use of mobile technologies.

    GSMA added that Bangladesh performs close to the regional averages across metrics of mobile market development, despite a lower income than neighboring countries. Bangladesh is above the Asian average in terms of unique subscriber market penetration at 53%, while only slightly below with regard to mobile internet penetration at 33% and 3G at 20% of all mobile connections.

    Thus, it sees the potential for further growth if a supportive policy environment is put in place.

    GSMA Intelligence expects that the economic contribution of the mobile industry in Bangladesh will continue to increase. In value-added terms, it is estimated that the ecosystem will generate $17 billion by 2020. This forecast relies on a favorable macroeconomic environment and on a moderate expansion in demand and supply in the mobile market, as the number of mobile internet users and mobile coverage both increase.

    Employment opportunities are also set to expand from 780,000 jobs in 2016 to 850,000 jobs in 2020, an increase of around nine percent during that period.

    The amount of spectrum, and the terms on which it is made available, fundamentally drive the cost, range, and availability of mobile services. To ensure that this mobile vision becomes a reality, it is imperative that the spectrum is allocated in a way that encourages the rapid deployment of mobile broadband infrastructure, resulting in high quality, affordable mobile services for consumers across Bangladesh,” added Tarnutzer.

  • Daimler to supply self-driving cars for Uber

    Daimler to supply self-driving cars for Uber

    German auto giant Daimler on Tuesday (Jan 31) said it had struck a partnership with Uber to supply self-driving cars for the US ride-hailing company.

    The tie-up comes as both carmakers and ridesharing firms are jockeying to establish themselves as leading players in the burgeoning world of autonomous driving, seen as the future of the auto industry.

    “Under the terms of the cooperation, Daimler plans to introduce self-driving vehicles … on Uber’s global ride-sharing network in the coming years,” the companies said in a joint statement.

    The agreement will see Daimler build and operate self-driving Mercedes-Benz cars for use by Uber, but the statement revealed no financial details.

    “As the inventor of the automobile, Daimler aims to be a leader in autonomous driving – one of the most fascinating aspects of reinventing mobility,” Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in the statement.

    San Francisco-based Uber has invested heavily in self-driving car technology in recent years and is currently piloting the use of autonomous vehicles in the US city of Pittsburgh.

    But it has no car-building experience, prompting it to seek partnerships.

    “Self-driving technology holds the promise of creating cities that are safer, cleaner and more accessible,” Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick said.

    “But we can’t get to that future alone. That’s why we’re opening up the Uber platform to auto manufacturers like Daimler.”

    Uber is already working with Sweden-based Volvo Cars to develop self-driving cars for sale by 2021.

    And in a world first, a self-driving truck built by Uber’s Otto unit successfully delivered a beer shipment in October.

    Cars with some autonomous functions, such as the ability to adjust the speed, are already on our roads.

    But nearly all the major global automakers – including BMW, Volkswagen and Ford – are racing to get fully self-driving cars on the market in the next few years, often in cooperation with tech firms.

    US automaker General Motors last year announced a US$500 million (€460 million) investment in Uber’s rival Lyft, while Google parent company Alphabet has partnered with Fiat Chrysler to develop self-driving cars.

    The BMW group, which has partnered with US computer chip giant Intel, said earlier this month it plans to start testing self-driving vehicles on roads in the US and Europe by the end of the year.

    Auto industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of Germany’s CAR institute predicted that the tie-up between Uber and Daimler wouldn’t be the last in the sector.

    “It’s almost to be expected. And Uber is sure to work with more car manufacturers in the future,” he told AFP. “It only makes the world of tomorrow even more exciting.”

  • S.F. Express to build Asia’s largest air freight hub in China

    S.F. Express to build Asia’s largest air freight hub in China

    Chinese private logistics giant S.F. Express Co Ltd has pledged to build the busiest air cargo hub in Asia, reaching areas accounting for 80% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product within two hours, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

    The firm said it would construct an airport in Ezhou city, Hubei province in central China, that could handle more than 2.6 million tonnes of freight and 1.5 million passengers by 2025. The airport would be the fourth busiest in the world and could cater for all jets except the Airbus’ superjumbo A380.

    The joint venture in charge of building the air hub has an investment capital of 100 million yuan (US$14.4 million). The venture will be responsible for the design, construction as well as the operation and management of the mega development project.

    A unit of S.F. Express – S.F. Airport Investment – and China VAST Industrial Urban Development Company have contributed 40 million yuan and 60 million yuan, respectively, to set up the joint venture.

    S.F. Airport Investment had invested 470 billion yuan in VAST late last year. S.F. Express, founded in 1993, is the largest private courier in China, and started building its own fleet in 2009. As of November 30, it owned a fleet of 36 aircraft, according to the company’s website.

    China’s logistics industry has boomed following the development of e-commerce giants, such as Alibaba’s Taobao. In 2016, more than 250 million people used courier services each day, according to the state Xinhua news agency.

    At the annual Singles’ Day e-commerce sale last year on November 11, postal services handled 251 million parcels, a 52% increase compared to 2015, according to another Xinhua news report. S.F. Express even rented high-speed trains to ensure punctual delivery of goods.

    The new airport project is part of an aero city mega development, spanning an area of 36 square kilometers, for a population of only a million.

  • Telstra launches Gigabit LTE in key CBDs

    Telstra launches Gigabit LTE in key CBDs

    Australia’s Telstra has launched the world’s first commercial Gigabit LTE network in the central business districts of key state capital cities.

    The operator’s LTE-A network in these CBDs has been upgraded to support 4X4 multiple input multiple output (MIMO), three carrier aggregation and 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on the downlink.

    The network also supports 64QAM and two carrier aggregation on the uplink for a peak upload speed of 150Mbps.

    Telstra, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Netgear jointly developed the first Gigabit-class commercially ready LTE network and Gigabit-class mobile device in October.

    Netgear’s Gigabit LTE device, the Nighthawk M1, will launch in Australia late this month, which will allow customers to use the Gigabit LTE service. The Nighthawk M1 utilizes 4×4 MIMO to support 4-way receive diversity.

    “Gigabit LTE is also an important step on our journey to 5G and demonstrates Telstra’s commitment to delivering Australians a world class network now and into the future,” Telstra group managing director for networks Mike Wright said.

    “We are well placed to evolve our 4G network and are putting the building blocks in place for Australia to be ready for 5G – this will deliver more bandwidth and lower latencies which are critical for emerging applications such as downloading 4K video, IoT, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality and shared virtual reality.”

  • Give yourself a break with Japan’s limited-edition Kit Kat sushi

    Give yourself a break with Japan’s limited-edition Kit Kat sushi

    Kit Kat, trusty purveyor of cocoa-coated wafer bars, has swooped in with the break you never knew you craved: chocolate sushi.

    The unimaginable “sushi cut kits” debut Thursday at Tokyo’s first-ever street-facing Kit Kat specialty store, according to former Gawker property Kotaku and Japanese media. The treats reportedly come in three flavors: “Maguro” (tuna), “Uni” (sea urchin) and “Tamago” (egg).

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestlejapan/sets/72157677570905932

    Maguro consists of raspberry flavor Kit Kat on puffed rice.

    If those sound unpalatable, take heart: There’s no real fish involved. The “tuna” variety is actually raspberry-flavored Kit Kat on top of a white chocolate rice puff; “sea urchin” is Hokkaido melon and mascarpone cheese-flavored Kit Kat encased in seaweed; and “egg” is a pumpkin pudding-flavored delicacy, also wrapped in a thin band of seaweed.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestlejapan/sets/72157677570905932

    Tamago is pumpkin pudding-flavored.

    The sushi kit sets will retail for 3,000 yen (just over $26) at the so-called Japanese “Ginza shop” from Thursday to Saturday.

    Japan, evidently, has a thing for the shareable Nestle-produced confections: The country has sold more than 300 flavor varieties since the brand first went on sale there in 1973, per a 2015 report. And the candy’s name sounds fortuitously similar to the Japanese phrase “kitto katsu” — meaning “you will surely win.”

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestlejapan/sets/72157677570905932

    Uni features Hokkaido melon and mascarpone cheese-flavored Kit Kats.

    Chef Yasumasa Takagi, who whips up gourmet delectables for the Kit Kat Chocolatory in Tokyo, says, “The challenge is how to make something handmade out of an industrial brand.”

    “The KitKat has three perimeters: the chocolate, the wafer and the cream. The chocolate and cream are where we can be most creative,” he told the Telegraph. “For me, my goals are the same as in my work as a patissier. I want to surprise people, I want to make them happy and I want to somehow create an emotional reaction.”

  • Foxconn to help Japanese firm sell robots around the world

    Foxconn to help Japanese firm sell robots around the world

    What guise will robots of the future take? Some see as them as faceless automatons, capable of performing basic tasks for us, whilst the Supermatrix predicts a future where they’ll be actively concious but subdued through a dream within a dream. SoftBank Mobile however believes robots can be our friends before they do our bidding, which is why it launched its Pepper robot in Japan last year and is now partnering with Foxconn and Alibaba to help sell it around the world.

    Pepper doesn’t perform any particularly useful tasks around the house or office, but he can read facial expressions and judge emotions based on language and tone of voice and can react accordingly. If you are sad, he might engage you in conversation or play your favourite song to cheer you up. Over time he learns your emotions and different moods and can compliment or help alleviate them depending on your preferences.

    To date he’s mostly been used as a greeter in Softbank stores, but there are other potential uses such as babysitter, party greeter, serving staff or a companion for the elderly. It’s expected that retailers may be some of the most interested in Pepper, but that there are plenty of other applications for him where end users and other organisations may see him as a good fit for the role.

    Projected costs for the robot are expected to be $1,660 (£,1044) up front, followed by monthly payments of £125 to cover ongoing insurance coverage (should it fall over and break) as well as access to the cloud processing facilities required to make many of Pepper’s more complicated analysis and decisions.

  • Japan December retail sales below expectations as BOJ meets

    Japan December retail sales below expectations as BOJ meets

    Japanese retail sales rose less than expected in December, government data showed on Monday, unwelcome news as the Bank of Japan meets to set monetary policy.

    Retail sales rose 0.6 percent in December from a year earlier, below the median market forecast for a 1.3 percent increase.

    The Bank of Japan is expected to announce a steady monetary policy after its two-day meeting Tuesday and seek to allay speculation of an early tapering of its massive stimulus.

    Weak consumer spending has dogged Japan’s economy, which has struggled to achieve steady recovery after decades of deflation and stagnation.

    “I didn’t expect December retail sales to be strong because end-year private consumption wasn’t strong,” said Shuji Tonouchi, senior market economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanely Securities.

    “Prices have been rising but it’s mostly due to the rise in energy prices, and domestic demand hasn’t changed…We are looking carefully at whether this would lead to sustained inflation,” Tonouchi added.

    Japan’s economy expanded for a third straight quarter in July-September as exports recovered, but domestic activity remained weak. Recent data has shown Japan’s core consumer prices fell at the slowest annual pace in nearly a year, a tentative sign that inflation and domestic demand may pick up in the coming months.

  • MUFG to Buy $773 Million Stake in Philippines’ Security Bank

    MUFG to Buy $773 Million Stake in Philippines’ Security Bank

    Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan’s biggest bank, agreed to buy a 20 percent stake in Philippine lender Security Bank Corp. for 36.9 billion pesos ($773 million) as it deepens its expansion in Southeast Asia.

    Security Bank accepted MUFG’s offer to buy 150.7 million newly issued common shares at 245 pesos each and 200 million preferred shares at 0.1 peso apiece, the Manila-based bank said in a filing Thursday. That represents an 81 percent premium on Security Bank’s Wednesday closing price of 135 pesos.

    The deal will be the largest equity investment in a Philippine financial institution by a foreign lender, allowing Security Bank to accelerate its growth strategy and expand its branch network, the Manila-based company said. Japan’s biggest lenders have expressed interest in investing in the Philippines after the country loosened its rules on foreign bank ownership in 2014. The nation’s central bank said after the announcement that it welcomes the entry of foreign bank investments.

    “Security Bank will benefit from the deal by having a bigger war chest to execute its strategy,” Charles William Ang, an analyst at COL Financial Group Inc., said by telephone. “The deal is also a sign that foreigners are still very bullish about our banking industry, which remains under-penetrated. There are more opportunities for growth and profit compared with Japan.”

    ‘Right Price’

    Ang said the transaction amount reflects the large size of the stake. MUFG is paying a 78 percent premium to Security Bank’s average price over the past month, the fourth highest among all bank acquisitions in Southeast Asia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The price of 245 pesos a share is 2.8 times book value, the data show.

    “People say that it’s expensive, but we believe this is the right price,” Go Watanabe, chief executive officer for Asia-Oceania at MUFG’s main lending unit, said at a briefing in Manila. “We believe this price is fair, calculating the intrinsic or future value of the bank.”

    Shares of Security Bank climbed 6.7 percent, the most since June 2013, to 144 pesos. MUFG dropped 2.4 percent in Tokyo as Asian equities resumed their New Year tumble.

    Second Biggest

    MUFG is comfortable with a 20 percent stake, Watanabe said. The investment will make its Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. unit the second-biggest shareholder of Security Bank, behind the Dy family. The deal is expected to close in the middle of the year, and MUFG will appoint two directors to Security Bank’s board, according to the statement.

    Security Bank will target 500 branches by 2020 from the current 262, the company’s President Alfonso Salcedo told reporters. The investment will allow it to tap new markets through MUFG’s relationships with Japanese companies and its global network, according to the statement. Security Bank’s operations range from retail banking to brokerage services and leasing, its website shows.

    Investments by foreign lenders “further reinforce bank capitalization, introduce global best practices and know-how and expand markets,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilpinas Governor Amando Tetangco said in a mobile-phone message. “These also promote more job-creating foreign direct investments.”

    Indonesia and India remain missing parts in MUFG’s expansion in Asia, Watanabe said. The financial group has been expanding in the region as a declining population and near record-low interest rates constrain growth at home.

    Thailand, Vietnam

    It was among 12 firms that expressed interest in buying United Coconut Planters Bank from the Philippine government, people with knowledge of the matter said last June. MUFG owns 77 percent of Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya and it bought a 20 percent stake in state-owned Vietnamese lender VietinBank in 2013.

    Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., Japan’s second-biggest lender by market value, was the first foreign lender to get a license to operate in the Philippines under a 2014 law allowing full entry of overseas banks. Five more lenders have since received approval, President Benigno Aquino said Tuesday at the opening ceremony of Sumitomo Mitsui’s first branch in the Southeast Asian nation.

    Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group Inc. ended talks to buy San Miguel Corp.’s controlling stake in Philippine lender Bank of Commerce, people with knowledge of the matter said in October.

  • Japanese leasing firm expands in Indonesia

    Japanese leasing firm expands in Indonesia

    Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company Limited (MUL) has announced its subsidiary in Indonesia, MULI, has opened a branch in Bandung, in a bid to capture new business as the country’s economy improves.

    The Bandung Branch is MULI’s second branch in Indonesia following the opening of its Surabaya Branch in October 2014. Since establishing a subsidiary in Jakarta in 1995, MUL has provided financing services focusing on mechanical equipment leasing and other activities for over 20 years.

    MUL says it aims to tap into growing demand in Indonesia, which is experiencing high economic growth in the ASEAN region, and expand the business opportunities. To this end, MUL is actively working to develop its business through such measures as acquiring an auto lease company, diversifying funding sources with the issuance of Indonesian rupiah-denominated notes, and providing asset management services that attract strong demand in Indonesia.

    Located about 150 km southeast of the capital Jakarta, Bandung, site of the latest branch, is the third largest city in Indonesia where the manufacturing and fiber/sewing industries are thriving. As a growing number of domestic and foreign companies are setting up their business there, growth is expected in the region. Through the establishment of the Bandung Branch, MULI will expand business bases in the West Java area and provide tailor-made services to meet the diverse needs of companies in Bandung and the surrounding areas.

  • Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab hires former Indonesian police chief

    Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab hires former Indonesian police chief

    Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab said on Monday (Jan 30) it has appointed Indonesia’s former national police chief to oversee corporate governance and long-term plans for its biggest market.

    Grab said it plans to expand to more cities in Indonesia, grow its transport services and invest in a mobile payments platform.

    Badrodin Haiti, who was Indonesia’s chief of the National Police from April 2015 to July 2016, “brings extensive experience working with government stakeholders and ensuring aligned interests among different stakeholders,” the company said in a statement.

    Grab and its competitors, Uber of the United States and homegrown company Go-Jek, have faced regulatory obstacles in Indonesia.

    The government has ordered ride-hailing service providers to pass vehicle safety tests and get local partners, among other conditions.

    “As the technology and ride-hailing sectors evolve in Indonesia, Mr. Haiti will play a guiding role to ensure Grab contributes constructively to the implementation of new transport regulations and safety guidelines,” Grab said.

  • China interested in establishing direct flight to West-Java

    China interested in establishing direct flight to West-Java

    The Executive Director of PT Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat, Virda Dimas Ekaputra, said that the Chengdu administration of China has stated its interest in establishing direct flight to Kertajati Airport of West Java Province.

    “They were excited when they knew that the West Java administration was to build a new international airport in Kertajati of Majalengka District,” Ekaputra said here on Tuesday.

    According to the director, the Chengdu administration has proposed the direct flight to Soekarno-Hatta Airport of Tangerang City.

    However, Soekarno-Hatta Airport could not accept their proposal due to the flight slot being full.

    Ekaputra stated that all ASEAN countries, except Indonesia, have maintained connection of their cities with Chengdu.

    He hoped that the establishment of the airport in West Java Province could develop the tourism sector in the area.

    Thus, the company will cooperate with West Java Cultural and Tourism Service to promote tourism in the region.

    “West Java would be one of the tourism destinations. The development would contribute to achieve 20 million foreign tourists,” Ekaputra added.

  • WHSmith expands Southeast Asia retail footprint

    WHSmith expands Southeast Asia retail footprint

    International news, books and convenience retail operator WHSmith has further expanded its presence in Southeast Asia by opening its first stores in the Philippines alongside extending its retail coverage in Indonesia and Malaysia.

    In Indonesia, WHSmith has secured three stores at Jakarta’s terminal three. The stores will be operated by its local franchisee, KPU; a subsidiary of the Indonesian Listed company PT Sona Topas. Once the first store is inaugurated, two further stores will be opened when the terminal construction is completed in the coming months. Covering over 400,000sq m, T3 is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

    In the Philippines, WHSmith has recently opened the second of its stores at Manila Ninoy Aquino International airport, following the opening of its first Philippine store at Cebu Mactan International airport. Manila is the largest airport in the Philippines. With over 36 million passengers using the airport annually, it is a top 40 global airport. With 8 million passengers forecast in 2016, Cebu is the second largest airport in the Philippines.

    Regent Travel Retail is currently working under a franchise agreement with WHSmith and has created a management team to ensure the smooth running of the stores. , Regent Travel Retail General Manager Joey Esteban said: “Regent is pleased to be opening its first WHSmith stores in Cebu and Manila in partnership with WHSmith. It is an important milestone in our development of the brand in the Philippines.”

    In Malaysia, WHSmith has opened a WHSmith Express format store in Kuala Lumpur’s Terminal 1 Satellite building. There are now nine WHSmith stores in four Malaysia airports, under a joint venture with Bison consolidated.

  • Indonesia Eximbank to boost SME exports

    Indonesia Eximbank to boost SME exports

    State-owned Indonesia Eximbank will play a pivotal role in boosting small and medium enterprise (SME) exports through export based people’s business credit (Kurbe) and an incubator program.

    Indonesia Eximbank acting president director Suswijono Moegiarso said it already disbursed Rp 1 trillion (US$74.95 million) Kurbe in 2016, a cross subsidy between big debtors and SMEs.

    For 2017, the Financial Service Authority (OJK) has recommended the bank to the Economic Coordinating Ministry for channeling government’s Kurbe, he said.

    “The Kurbe will help boost SMEs exports this year, we are really thankful to OJK for the recommendation,” Suswijono said during the Export Purposed Import Facility (KITE) event in Tumang Village, Boyolali, Central Java, on Monday.

    There are five SMEs that already have Kurbe from the Eximbank with a total value of Rp 13.3 billion, namely UD Daffi Art,  CV Inducomp, CV Yudhistira, PT Banyan International and PT Bali Tangi.

    Those five SMEs also have a KITE import facility from the customs office.

    The bank would also provide mentoring and an incubation program for the export oriented SMEs called coaching programs for new exporters (CPNE).

    Indonesia Eximbank managing director Indra Wijaya Supriadi said that in 2016 the program already created five export oriented SMEs. “These SMEs successfully exported modified cassava flour (mocaf), broomsticks, room insulators, catfish fillets and frozen beef,” Indra said.