{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1710230,
        "msgid": "business-leader-urges-indonesia-to-learn-from-vietnam-highlights-wfh-risks-1777531948",
        "date": "2026-04-30 13:05:00",
        "title": "Business Leader Urges Indonesia to Learn from Vietnam, Highlights WFH Risks",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Business",
        "summary": "The Chairman of the Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industries Association (HIMKI), Abdul Sobur, has warned that Indonesia's labour policies must balance worker protection with industrial productivity and flexibility to maintain global competitiveness in manufacturing. He argues against a one-size-fits-all approach to flexible work arrangements like work-from-home (WFH), which are unsuitable for labour-intensive sectors reliant on physical presence, and points to Vietnam's success in attracting investments through more adaptable policies. This call comes amid domestic challenges such as rigid regulations, suboptimal worker productivity, and rising production costs, emphasising the need for a fair and competitive ecosystem to prevent job losses and business stagnation.",
        "content": "<p>Business actors are reminding that the direction of labour policy\nshould not disrupt the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector amid\nincreasingly tight global competition. The General Chairman of the\nIndonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industries Association (HIMKI),\nAbdul Sobur, believes that labour protection remains important but must\nbe balanced with industry needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLabour protection is a principled matter. However, in the context of\nthe manufacturing industry, that protection must go hand in hand with\nincreasing productivity and industrial flexibility. Without such\nbalance, Indonesia risks losing its global competitiveness even\nfurther,\u201d said Abdul Sobur in his statement on Thursday (29\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the challenges faced by the industry do not only come from\nglobal pressures but also from domestic issues such as regulations\ndeemed rigid, suboptimal labour productivity, and continuously rising\nproduction costs.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasised that flexible work policies such as work from home\n(WFH) cannot be applied uniformly, especially in the labour-intensive\nmanufacturing sector which is highly dependent on the physical presence\nof workers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWFH cannot be applied across the board to all sectors. In the\nmanufacturing industry, particularly labour-intensive ones, work is very\nmuch tied to production processes, machines, materials, finishing,\nquality control, and delivery. If policies are made too generally\nwithout considering the characteristics of the sector, the\ncompetitiveness of the industry could also be pressured,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He also touched on competition with other countries like Vietnam,\nwhich is seen as more capable of attracting manufacturing investments\ndue to a combination of policies deemed more flexible and\nconsistent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must honestly look at global facts. Vietnam has become an\ninvestment magnet not only because of wages, but because they offer a\nmore flexible, productive, and consistent ecosystem. This is an\nimportant lesson for Indonesia,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<p>Amid these conditions, existing policies cannot become an additional\nburden for business actors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood intentions to protect workers should not end up making the\nindustry lose its ability to survive, delay expansion, or even reduce\nthe workforce. What we need is a fair and competitive ecosystem,\u201d said\nSobur.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/business-leader-urges-indonesia-to-learn-from-vietnam-highlights-wfh-risks-1777531948",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}