Govt pledges to help Pekalongan batik, sarong producers<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ministry of industry and trade pledged to help the ailing
\nbatik (traditional Javanese shirt) and sarong producers in
\nPekalongan, Central Java province, to seek new domestic markets
\nin an attempt to keep their businesses alive.<\/p>\n
The move was part of efforts to market some one million batik
\nand sarong products piled up in Pekalongan after the Tanah Abang
\nmarket in Jakarta was destroyed by fire last month. Tanah Abang
\nwas the main domestic market for batik and sarong from
\nPekalongan.<\/p>\n
Rifana Erni, director general of domestic trade affairs at the
\nministry said on Monday that her office would facilitate some
\nmeetings between producers from Pekalongan and traders from
\nseveral provinces in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We will help them to seek new local markets, such as Medan,
\nand other cities in Sumatra,\" Erni said.<\/p>\n
She said that the first meeting was expected to take place in
\nMedan next month.<\/p>\n
The leading newspaper here, Kompas daily reported on Monday
\nthat the batik and sarong manufacturing industry, which employs
\nthousands of workers, was in limbo after the Oct. 12 Bali terror
\nattacks and the fire which destroyed the Tanah Abang market. The
\npopular resort island of Bali is also a huge market for the
\nPekalongan sarongs because they are popular among foreign
\ntourists who enjoy purchasing ethnic knicknacks. Tourism in Bali
\nis significantly down since the terrorist attacks there.<\/p>\n
But an official at the ministry said that the move to help the
\nPekalongan batik and sarong producers was not in response to the
\nKompas report, saying that Minister of Industry and Trade Rini M.
\nSoewandi had already visited the Pekalongan area immediately
\nafter the Tanah Abang market was destroyed.<\/p>\n
The official added that in addition to helping open market
\naccess in Sumatra, the ministry would also help the Pekalongan
\nproducers to market their products in Makassar, South Sulawesi
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The Tanah Abang market has also been the main gateway for the
\nexport of the Pekalongan's batik and sarong products to the
\nMiddle East, Africa and some Asian countries.<\/p>\n
The fire destroyed more than 2,420 kiosks out of a total of
\n7,594 kiosks in the four-story market covering six blocks. Only
\nshops in block B and F were completely unaffected by the blaze.<\/p>\n
Rini has sent a letter to the Jakarta administration and city-
\nowned market operator PD Pasar Jaya to quickly rebuild the
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
The ministry would also host discussions with textile
\nassociations and banks to seek solutions to the problems faced by
\nthe Pekalongan producers.<\/p>\n
Nadifianto, a sarong maker from Pekalongan said that there
\nwere some 18 million sarongs piled up in the Central Java city.<\/p>\n
\"We are now facing a very difficult condition, we are unable
\nto move our products as there is no demand,\" Nadifianto told The
\nPost.<\/p>\n
\"We're not asking for much from the government, we only want
\ntheir help to find us new markets,\" he said, adding that action
\nmust be immediately taken or many producers would go bankrupt.<\/p>\n
Pekalongan has some 5,000 weaving machines, with the total
\nnumber of direct workers at 10,000.<\/p>\n
Nadifianto welcomed the government's move to facilitate the
\nplanned meeting with traders from Sumatra and other areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-pledges-to-help-pekalongan-batik-sarong-producers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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