The minister officially opened the 2016 Nusantara Batik Week, organized to highlight National Batik Day.
He said the nation's love for batik has helped strengthen the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
In fact, there has also been a rise in the national spirit as more Indonesians choose to wear batik clothes: from Sabang (Indonesias westernmost region) to Merauke (the easternmost region), and in particular Pekalongan, which is popularly referred as "city of batik".
According to Puspayoga, the growth in the batik industry has also helped improve the welfare of batik craftsmen.
On the occasion, he also presented assistance to local cooperatives and low-interest credit to small-scale batik producers.
Pekalongan mayor Achmad Alf Arslan Djunaid said in his report that the eighth Nusantara Batik Week is expected to boost the creative productivity of the public.
The six-day expo featured 160 batik and 90 culinary stands.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
