He made the observation after inspecting two wood and furniture processing companies in Tangerang, Banten — PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera, Balaraja and PT Gema Graha Sarana (VIVERE Group) in Sukaharja.
"The arrangement of work in shifts is very good; it is also supported by a very large factory area with a limited number of workers," he noted in a statement received here on Thursday.
He said the companies, PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera in particular, have divided working hours into several shifts to prevent crowding in the factory area.
By applying tight health protocols in the factory environment properly, the percentage of employees at PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera infected with COVID-19 has been less than three percent, he noted.
"Based on reports from the company, out of 700 workers, only 20 people were infected with COVID-19," Ardika expounded.
PT Gema Graha Sarana (VIVERE Group) has also implemented strict procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
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The company, which has carried out digital transformation to Industry 4.0 and was one of the speakers at the 2021 Hannover Messe, has implemented 6Ms and 3Ts, which refer to the Minister of Industry's Circular No. 3 of 2021, he added.
The ministry circular directs companies to compulsorily implement health protocols, which include the 6Ms: wearing masks properly, washing hands with soap and running water or disinfectant liquid, keeping distance, avoiding and preventing crowds, avoiding eating together, and reducing mobility that is not related to work activity, Ardika said.
The 3Ts refer to early testing, tracing, and treatment to curb the spread of COVID-19 transmission, he added.
"The health protocol applied in here is very good, because it has implemented the recommendations set by the government, such as screening workers, then equipped with the PeduliLindungi application, so that it is more objective," he explained.
Ardika also appealed to companies to file IOMKI reports (industrial operation and mobility permit) electronically through the National Industrial Information System portal or SIINas (siinas.kemenperin.go.id).
The Ministry of Industry is also pushing for the acceleration of vaccinations of industrial workers, he pointed out. Through these efforts, it is hoped that national manufacturing productivity will increase, both for domestic and export needs, he explained.
"At PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera, vaccination has been carried out well and if we look at the company, 98.1 percent of its workers have been vaccinated, then at PT. Gema Graha Sarana with 97 percent (vaccination rate)," he informed.
With efforts to maintain the productivity of the manufacturing industry through IOMKI, PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera's exports have currently increased by up to 20 percent, he added.
Before the pandemic, 50 percent of their products were marketed for domestic needs and the other 50 percent for export. Meanwhile, during the pandemic, 70 percent of the products were for export and 30 percent for domestic needs.
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"This happened because industrial activities in several neighboring countries such as Malaysia and other producing countries were disrupted due to the pandemic, so we could take export markets from these competing countries," Ardika said.
COO/production director of PT Sumber Graha Sejahtera, Rudiyanto Tan, welcomed the government's continued efforts to support the productivity of industrial companies amid the pandemic, especially those focusing on exports.
"Through the steps taken by the government, especially the implementation of IOMKI, we can still be competitive during the pandemic. In addition, several tools issued by the government also allow us to continue operating to compete with other countries in the export market," Tan noted.
Meanwhile, CEO of VIVERE Group, Dedy Rochimat, lauded the government's efforts to help industrial activities to continue running amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said his company has also continued to develop its processes to maintain productivity.
"Of course, at a time like this, it is very important to get support from the government, because the situation during the pandemic is very difficult. With good cooperation between the government and industry players, this difficult situation can be resolved," Rochimat concluded.
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Translator: Sella G, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
