T

he Bali Manpower and Transmigration Agency has not booked any layoff reports yet, despite weakening export figures and a drop in tourist arrival numbers as the result of the recent global economic downturn.

Agency head Anak Agung Anom told The Jakarta Post by phone recently that his office had not yet received reports of job slashes from any company operating in the province's eight regencies

"To date, there have been no such reports. Maybe the regencies have not yet filed the reports," he said.

However, Jenggala Ceramic general manager Peter Heinrichsohn admitted he had been forced to dismiss workers at his company, which was established in 1979.

"This is the first time *this has happened* in Jenggala's history," he said Thursday, adding the job cuts were made to boost efficiency due to a sharp decline in orders.

The company's business development manager, John Adsit, said the layoffs were made not only in the production section but also in all divisions, with 32 of the company's 237 employees being dismissed.

Handicraft companies are also facing a hard time as orders decline across the board, with Warisan Eurindo reporting to the Badung Social and Labor Affairs Agency in February that it would cut working hours and slash workers' transportation and meal allowances.

I Made Wena, owner of Agung Grazinia Ceramic in Sukawati, Gianyar, said his business began feeling the impact of the economic turmoil at the end of last year.

"In December last year and January this year, we cut our employees' working hours because of a nosedive in orders. But since February, orders began increasing, so we're now back to normal working hours," he said.

Exports of garments, wooden items, jewelry, ceramics and other handicrafts have declined trend since the second half of 2008, according to data from the Bali office of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Exports reached as low as US$19.5 million in January this year, a drop of nine percent from the $21.4 million registered in the same month last year.

The figure plunged further in February, down to $18.7 million from $24.2 million a year earlier. Last year, April as the most robust month with exports valued at $26.7 million, while July was the weakest month, with $19.7 million of exports.

Bali BPS trade and tourism official Ketut Manacika said export data for March was not yet available. March exports last year reached $21.8 million.

A senior government official, speaking at the United Nations' World Tourism Organization (WTO) talks that concluded Thursday, warned a 20 percent of the 4.41 million people working in the tourism industry would lose their jobs due to the ongoing global financial crisis.

Harry Waluyo, director of the Culture and Tourism Ministry's Data Center and Network, said those directly employed at tourism establishments would face a bigger possibility of losing their jobs than those employed in tourism-related industries.

In February this year, 139,282 overseas visitors came to the island, mostly from Japan, Australia, China and South Korea, a decline of 15.6 percent from January.