VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian fashion industry contributes 18 percent of state revenues, Chief of the Creative Economy Board (BEKRAF) Triawan Munaf said. "The contribution of the fashion industry to the state revenue is large, reaching 18 percent or about Rp1,500 trillion," he said at a press conference in Jakarta Tuesday.

Therefore, the country should strongly support the fashion industry, particularly batik, so that it will continue to grow, he said.

One of the challenges facing the batik industry is the emergence of imported clothes with the batik motif which deals a blow to domestic batik producers.

"Batik is a method. We are facing an onslaught of foreign textiles with batik motif. The community is already aware of it. Hence, they must protect (batik). Batik is handwritten batik and stamped batik. Printing is not batik," he said (ANTARA)