VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Ministry of Industry is the host of the Exhibition of Prisoners Featured Products. The exhibition themed "Unlimited creativity, albeit limited space" lasts for three days on 3-6 April 2018 at Indonesian Ministry of Industry, Jakarta. The exhibition was officially opened by three cabinet ministers namely Indonesian Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiarso Lukita, and Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasona Laoly. After opening the exhibition, Indonesian Minister of Industry of Airlangga Hartarto told reporters that one of the markets has been targeted to promote inmates products who had been fostered is online market through the "marketplace".

“Almost everything, as well as the ministry has done training for e-commerce. Of course, it is connected with prisoners products which have been produced sustainably. Well, one of them was delivered earlier, the gel pen. So, they will produce continuously. Of course, with the e-commerce they just sell their product and list it in the marketplace,” Airlangga Hartarto said.

In addition to marketing the products of prisoners' work through the "marketplace", according to Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian Ministry of Industry continues to develop a coaching pattern, whether related to technical guidance, equipment assistance, and business management assistance. Some of the technical guidance are conducted to the targeted prisoners in Women's Penitentiaries in Tangerang, Banten and Pondok Bambu, Jakarta. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

Director of Strategy and Portfolio of the Finance Ministry Scenaider Siahaan said debts are needed by the government to finance priority projects such as infrastructure projects and human recourse development. In a discussion held by Indonesian Association of Alumnus of Indonesian University (Iluni) in Jakarta, on Tuesday, Scenaider delay of priority projects could result in higher cost of implementation in the future. He said the government spending is for improvement in productivity and quality of the people through investment in human resources, health facility and education.

"Now many people have been free from illiteracy that the quality of human resources has improved," Scenaider said.

He said improved quality of the people would be result in higher productivity that contribute to economic growth.

"In turn it would increase tax revenues that could be used to repay the debts. We think the present tax revenues are safe and would be healthier ahead," Scenaider said.

Based on official record of the Finance Ministry, the government debts by the end of February 2018 reached Rp4,034.8 trillion or 29.2 percent of the country`s GDP. The debts included Rp3,257.26 trillion in state bonds (80.73 percent) and Rp777.54 trillion in loans (19 percent).

"In the past, the main sources were loan, now is state securities as loans have limitations that could not meet our requirements in development," Scenaider added. ( antara ) 

Indonesia is targeting the third position in the global footwear industry, by improving its current position as the fourth country after China, India, and Vietnam.

"This year, we are targeting to enter the big three, supported by government interventions and ease of doing business," Industry Ministry`s Small and Medium Industries for Fashion and Crafts director, E. Ratna Utarianingrum, stated during a Makers Talk held at the Prasetya Mulya University, South Tangerang, on Tuesday. According to her, 86 percent of the footwear in the world is produced by Asian countries, where China takes 80 percent of the total production, while the other 6 percent is produced by India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

"Our market share is 3.3 percent globally," she remarked.

However, the total production of footwear in Indonesia differs slightly from Vietnam, which is at the third position. Indonesia`s footwear production has reached 1.1 billion pairs per year, of which 800 million pairs are for domestic use and the rest for export, with main destinations including Europe and the United States. Meanwhile, the total production of footwear in Vietnam has reached 1.2 billion pairs per year, and most of it is exported to various countries.

In addition to its superiority in terms of the total production, Vietnam is also benefited by its closer geographical position to China, which allows its easy access to the export market. Indonesia will continue to increase its capacity in footwear industry, from the design, management, and distribution, in order to be able to compete with Vietnam.

Through the Indonesian Footwear Industry Development Center (BPIPI) at the ministry, the government seeks to increase the skills of national shoe craftsmen, whose alumni have reached eight thousand people since its establishment in 2009. In addition to recognizing new shoe entrepreneurs, the center also provides coaching program for crafters to run their business and tackle various problems, Utarianingrum added.( antara )