According to Kartasasmita, various parties claimed that the textile industry sector had entered its declining era. However, the minister on the contrary said that the TPT industry's performance was bouncing back.
"Based on statistics as compared to the second quarter of 2021, the third quarter of 2021 recorded a four-percent increase," Kartasasmita stated during his visit to a textile factory in Bandung District, West Java, on Thursday.
The level of textile exports during the period from January to October 2021 also increased by 19 percent to reach US$10.52 and investment in the textile industry also rose by 12 percent to Rp5.06 trillion, he remarked.
The ministry also encourages the textile industry sector to contribute to the Industry Ministry's program, specifically targeting import substitution to reach 35 percent.
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Currently, import substitution had only reached 13-14 percent. Hence, the acceleration program for the textile industry sector will be implemented in 2022, he noted.
"All our work at the Ministry of Industry is focused on helping the textile industry to survive amid the pandemic. We want the TPT industry to bounce back," Kartasasmita remarked.
He later noted that development of the textile industry cannot be separated from the role of the community members, who must be proud to wear domestic products. This is because the program for the textile industry is not only formed in the upstream but also in the downstream sector.
"This is becoming one of the government's duties to disseminate information on the movement called Proud of Indonesian Products (BBI)," he emphasized.
The minister is also optimistic that with the development of the textile industry, sovereignty in the context of clothing for the Indonesian people can be realized optimally.
"We must reduce the import of TPT. Our 35-percent import substitution program is an inseparable program from the great philosophy of sovereignty in the context of clothing," he concluded.
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Translator: Bagus Ahmad R, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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