Embroidery industry slumps after fire

BANDUNG, West Java: Around 600 embroidery makers in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya have gone bankrupt due to a decline in demand following a fire that gutted Southeast Asia's largest garment market in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, earlier this month.

One of the embroidery entrepreneurs, Muslim, said that garments worth around Rp 15 billion (US$1.6 million) had been left untouched in the warehouses due to a lack of demand. He said most of the producers had in fact gone bankrupt.

Hundreds of embroidery makers in Kawalu, Cilamajang, Karsamenak, Cibeuti, Karanganyar and Tanjung villages in Tasikmalaya used to sell their products to the Tanah Abang market.

Muslim said he had to lay off 600 of his 700 employees due the slump.

To save the local garment industry, Muslim demanded that the government quickly rebuild Tanah Abang market. -- Antara