JAKARTA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso said on Thursday that Indonesia has opened 2,400 retail stores in the Philippines and plans to expand into Malaysia, Bangladesh, and other Asian countries.
The minister explained that this expansion of retail outlets across Asia is expected to boost the export of Indonesian products to these countries.
"That's part of our service exports. Naturally, if there are many stores, our products will be sold there. Hopefully, we can expand to Malaysia, Bangladesh, and so on," he was quoted as saying by local media.
Santoso emphasized that establishing retail stores abroad indirectly supports the promotion of Indonesian products.
He also noted that the Indonesian government continues to encourage exports in both the goods and services sectors. ■
