AEC Feed

Indonesia will send 23 officials from the Trade Ministry to China to study the market in the country as part of a two-week workshop on trade promotion as officials try to reduce Indonesia's trade deficit with the country.
The workshop’s programme has been tailored specifically to boost Indonesian exports to China, said the Trade Ministry’s secretary general for export development, Ari Satria, adding that the event |would take place from November 3 to 17.
In addition to attending classes, the officials would also go on site visits to facilities relevant to the goal of the workshop, he added.
Data from the Trade Ministry shows that Indonesia posted a trade deficit of US$8.4 billion with China during the period from January to August this year, slightly better than $9.9 billion deficit recorded in the same period last year. – The Jakarta Post 

AirAsia X carries more passengers in Q3
AirAsia X Bhd, (AAX) carried 1.49 million passen In its preliminary operating statisAirAsia X, the long-haul low cost airline affiliate of the AirAsia Bhd, said its capacity rose 21 per cent to 1.88 million versus 1.56 million previously.
“The growth in passengers carried is made possible with strong demand amongst Malaysians during end of August, when the National Day long weekend coincided with the Term 2 school holiday and Eid celebration in Malaysia,” AAX said in a statement. 
Its passenger load factor (PLF) improved to 79 per cent , up one percentage point year-on-year, on the back of 18 per cent year-on-year growth in available seat kilometres to 9,135 million.
On the associates, AirAsia X Thailand had been able to record a robust PLF of 86 per cent, up one percentage point as compared to 85 per cent a year ago. During the quarter under review, AirAsia X Thailand carried 359,941 passengers, up 3.2 per cent year-on-year. – The Star 

Yamaha introduces electric motorcycle
 Motorcycle manufacturer PT Yamaha Indonesia (YIMM) introduced its electric motorcycle on Wednesday.
YIMM president director Minoru Morimoto explained that his company had a long history in developing the electric motorcycle, saying that it had introduced its electric motorcycle, the Yamaha Passol, in 2002.
“We introduced [the motorcycle] to the market in Indonesia,” said Minoru in Jakarta on Wednesday as reported by kontan.co.id.
He said next month, Yamaha would cooperate with four institutions, Kebun Raya Bogor, Pelita Harapan University (UPH), PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Sales Indonesia (MMKSI) and The Breeze BSD, to carry out a market trial for the vehicles.
Meanwhile, YIMM vice president director Dionisius Betty explained that the product would not be put on the market during the trial. “It is not difficult to produce and market the electric motorcycles. But we will first pay serious attention to its safety features,” Dionisius said. – The Jakarta Post 

Laos to boost foreign reserve management 
The Bank of the Lao PDR will boost cooperation with commercial banks and enterprises to improve the management of money flow, aiming to comply with the regulations on the control of foreign reserves and strengthen the process.
Responding to questions from National Assembly members during the ongoing debate session last week, Deputy Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR Vattana Dalaloy said foreign reserves had remained stable over the last few years in keeping with economic mechanisms.
In 2015, reserves stood at US$986.8 million, falling to US$814 million in 2016 and rising to US$958.7 million in the first six months of this year, she reported.
According to economic theory, the rise and fall of foreign currency reserves should equal the increase and decrease in foreign transactions. – Vientiane Times