"There are predictions that next year there will be an extraordinary increase in consumer good imports . We are preparing measures to face it. We have coordinated with the trade ministry to slow down the flow of those consumer good imports," Industry Minister Mohamad Suleman Hidayat said here on Friday.
He said that the ministry of industry would multiply its assistance for small and middle scale industrial players so that their products would be able to compete with imported consumer goods.
"Small and medium scale industrial product centers would be assisted with various programs and tools, including assistance on improving human resources capacity," he said.
He said that in 2011, the ministry of industry had provided assistance for 68 small-scale industrial centers which produced handicraft products, precious stones and essential oils.
So far, consumer goods imports only accounted for 4.65 percent of national consumer goods sales worth Rp2,150 trillion, yet its trend has continued to increase.
The value of consumer goods imports in October 2011 was about seven percent and in the January - October 2011 period it was recorded at almost 40 percent, which was higher than that in the same period a year earlier.
The Central Board of Statistics (BPS) recorded in October 2011
the value of imported consumer goods was 1.26 billion dollars or about 7.77 percent of the total imports.
In the January - October 2011, it was recorded at 11.19 billion dollars, up 39.81 percent from the same period in 2010.
(Uu.A014/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
