However, the ASN in Medan city can choose any traditional clothes because there are 14 ethnicities.
Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) - Head of the Association of Indonesian Municipalities (Apeksi), Bima Arya, on Friday urged all mayors attending the organization’s 22nd anniversary event to implement policies to absorb local products to recover the people’s economy.

“Since Indonesia’s economy has begun to rise, the President (Joko Widodo) has asked that all regional heads absorb domestic products. Hence, currently, (members of) Apeksi work together to encourage the local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as the economy," he said here on Friday.

The regions in Indonesia have a lot of potential, he added. Hence, during the anniversary event, a number of city governments displayed their local products.

He said he expected all mayors to implement policies to promote the use of local products in their respective cities.

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Arya, who is also the mayor of Bogor city, cited the example of the policy requiring all civil servants (ASN) in the city to wear local products every Tuesday, Sundanese traditional clothes on Thursdays, as well as batik clothes every Friday.

"Thus, the ASN are required to use local products for three days a week. If all of the 98 mayors implement the same policy simultaneously, there will be an extraordinary revival of the local economy," he emphasized.

Apeksi is also pushing the regions to not rely on the regional budget (APBD) for developing and encouraging the local economy, the Apeksi head added.

The regions that have been able to collaborate with various parties and not relied on the regional budget are expected to share their experiences with other governments, he said.

"Hence, we must collaborate with the private sector and various organizations to encourage the local economy. The aim is to collaborate on improving MSMEs in Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, Medan Mayor Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution said that his administration has also implemented a policy on wearing ethnic clothes on several working days to support local MSMEs.

"However, the ASN in Medan city can choose any traditional clothes because there are 14 ethnicities," he added.
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Translator: Dian Hadiyatna, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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