Furniture, handicrafts exhibition opened here

Furniture, handicrafts exhibition opened here

JAKARTA (JP): Director General for Agricultural and Forestry-
based Industries Sujata yesterday opened a furniture and
handicraft exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center, which
will continue until June 9.

"Our furniture and handicraft exports have remarkably
increased during the last ten years," said Sujata at the
exhibition's opening ceremony, which was also attended by
Muhammad (Bob) Hasan, chairman of the Indonesian Furniture
Industry & Handicraft Association.

During the January to November period last year, exports of
furniture and handicrafts amounted to US$1.6 billion or about 6
percent of the total exports of Indonesia's industrial products.

"Ten years ago, furniture and handicraft exports were recorded
only at $60 million," he noted.

In 1999, at the end of the current Five Year Development Plan,
Indonesia expects furniture and handicraft exports to reach $12
billion or 22.2 percent of Indonesia's total industrial exports.

Bob Hasan said that furniture and handicraft producers are
still facing a number of obstacles in exporting their products.

"The procedure of exporting furniture and handicraft products
still takes a long time. Sometimes it takes weeks before they can
export their products," he said, adding that ideally, it should
take only two days.

He also cited that furniture and handicraft trading is still
dominated by brokers, particularly those from abroad.

"Sales through the brokers still account for more than 50
percent, thereby leaving the producers with a very small profit
margin," he said.

Eighty furniture and 20 handicraft producers from all over
Indonesia are participating in the 10-day exhibition. (13)