The ministry's Deputy for Micro Enterprises, Temmy Satya Permana, said his party is collaborating with local brand associations to ensure the sustainability of businesses previously engaged in thrifted apparel.
"We will rebrand Senen Market as a center for our local brands, and we will do the same with other areas," Permana informed on Friday.
This measure is included in the government's efforts to ensure traders dependent on imported used clothing can maintain their livelihoods.
The Ministry is also preparing a transition scheme by partnering with more than 150 local brands to supply products to the traders.
"We will also discuss the business scheme, plus the possibility of the People's Business Credit (KUR) to support the financing. They need large capital to start selling local products instead of used clothes," Permana noted.
He explained that this step aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's directive to stop the illegal trade in imported clothing and replace it with local products.
The government is also coordinating with local governments to collect data on the number of thrifted clothes merchants in regions as a basis for preparing a transition scheme, Permana said.
"Everyone must have an equal opportunity to run a business. We will gradually rebrand it and convince people that local products are indeed just as good as foreign clothing," he emphasized.
Regarding the assumption that thrifted clothing is cheaper than new local products, MSMEs Minister Maman Abdurrahman said that meetings with associations and business owners have shown that the price of used clothing is not always lower.
"Many used items are also expensive because there are no price regulations. The price is determined by the vendor," he explained after attending a meeting with the president at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday (November 4).
He stated that the policy is intended to sustain domestic production while enabling thrifting businesses to continue operating by transitioning to locally made products.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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