Build Sustainable Industry, Government Continues to Synergize With Business Actors

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta, Industrial development strategy must be realized through synergy between the government and all business actors to ensure the sustainability of the industry in the future.

"In addition to playing an important role in driving the economy, the industry also brings multiplier effects through increased value added of raw materials in the country, local employment and foreign exchange earnings," said Minister of Industry, Airlangga Hartarto in Jakarta, Friday (8/12/2017).

To that end, the Ministry of Industry is focusing on promoting the development and competitiveness of national industries to be more competitive in the global arena.

Various strategic programs have been implemented, including downstream agro-based industries and mineral mining. In addition, the Ministry of Industry is also spurring the development of export-oriented labor-intensive sectors, including footwear industry, textile and textile products, food and beverage industry, wood and rattan furniture industry, and creative industries.

"We have proposed that the sector get fiscal incentives in the form of income tax deductions used for reinvestment," he added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Rosan P Roeslani stated that the role of the industrial sector should be improved because it can boost the national economic growth. This effort is not only done by Indonesia, but many countries including in Southeast Asia have done the same thing.

"Developed countries also increase their industry, in order to achieve higher economic growth," he said.

However, according to Rosan, entrepreneurs or associations can not work alone in enhancing the role of the industry. Cooperation and the role of government is needed to overcome the challenges faced by sectors that provide the greatest contribution to the economy.

Rosan considers that there is a need for crucial improvements in supporting sustainable industries, especially in terms of raw materials availability, local component utilization, human resource quality improvement, and deepening competitive industrial structure.

"The industry is the foundation for the overall national economic development, so the improvement of the economic structure of Indonesia can not be separated from the effort to improve the industrial structure to put the industrial sector as the economic motor," he concluded.