The Ministry of Industry continues to support the craft industry as a sector with growth potential and commodities of high economic value. The craft industry, especially small and medium industries (SMIs), excels in the handiwork of its artisans, with artistic value and beauty inseparable from Indonesian culture.
“For a long time, our artisans have explored, developed and preserved cultural heritage in various patterns and distinctive features. The diversity of the domestic craft industry has great potential to be developed into commodities of economic value,” said the Director General of Small, Medium and Miscellaneous Industries (IKMA) at Kemenperin, Reni Yanita, in Jakarta on Wednesday (9/11).
According to Reni, craft products can command high economic value if also boosted by local tourism. Tourism is one of the main sectors for bringing in foreign exchange, creating jobs and increasing local economic growth.
The craft industry is one of the creative industry subsectors that contributes significantly to the national economy. This is reflected in Indonesia's craft exports in January–September 2022, which reached USD 725.54 million (IDR 10.6 trillion), up 6.94% from USD 678.42 million in the same period the previous year.
“This achievement is quite encouraging, and hopefully it keeps rising so Indonesia can become one of the world's largest craft producers,” Reni said.
One of Kemenperin's efforts to boost craft industry performance is cross-party collaboration to develop and promote the potential of Indonesian craft products. “We are therefore actively building cooperation with all stakeholders such as business associations, designers, academics, marketplaces and influencers to jointly promote the quality of domestic craft products,” Reni said.
Kemenperin also actively involves regional governments in exploring the strengths of local products and improving the capabilities of regional industry players to be more competitive. “One effort has been helping regional artisans exhibit at the Kemenperin office, giving them the chance to re-establish themselves after the pandemic,” she added.
On 8–11 November 2022, Kemenperin hosted the Kerajinan Jogja Istimewa multi-product exhibition, organized by the Special Region of Yogyakarta Government and the Yogyakarta National Crafts Council, at the Kemenperin Industry Exhibition Plaza in Jakarta. Fifty-two SMIs from Yogyakarta took part, displaying craft products such as batik, lurik, silver, wood, knitwear, leather, fashion and processed food.
“We know the Special Region of Yogyakarta is a tourist destination with great cultural wealth and many attractions. We therefore need to prepare and showcase quality local craft products,” Reni said.
Kemenperin, through the Directorate General of IKMA, also develops the craft industry's potential through programs to improve human resource competence and capacity, product quality development, intellectual property certification, machinery/equipment facilitation, and access to promotion and exhibitions. All these craft SMI development programs aim to increase SMIs' competitiveness and capacity.
Reni also urged the public to keep buying and using domestic products, especially those made by SMIs, as many Indonesian-made products have proven popular in national and global markets. “We must all build optimism that national craft products can compete both at home and internationally. We must be proud of domestic products,” she concluded.
Source: Press Release of the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia