Garment makers told to use local brands

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Trade Satrio B. Joedono urged yesterday garment manufacturers to promote domestic brand names, particularly at department stores which are now dominated by sales of products with foreign names.

"Garment manufacturers should cooperate with local designers and boutiques to promote Indonesian original brand names," Joedono told members of the Association of Indonesian Garment Suppliers.

He also asked department stores, which currently prefer to sell garments locally made with foreign licenses, to promote products with domestic brands.

Poppy Dharsono, head of the small industry department in the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), acknowledged that department stores preferred to sell garments with imported brands, rather than those with domestic names.

"The government should force department stores to provide garments with local brand names at their outlets, to support the growth of small industries," Poppy said. Poppy was elected yesterday as the new chairperson of the association, replacing Sjafioen.

A Kadin executive said that there are about 106 garment brand names circulating in department stores, out of which 40 are imported.

"The imported brand names are, in their number, a minority but they dominate the sales," he said.

Therefore, Joedono said, garment producers, are, challenged to improve their image and promote Indonesian brand names in the country and abroad.

Sjafioen, the association's outgoing chairman, told the meeting that the association should ask retailers to avoid price wars through discounting in a bid to achieve fair competition.

Yesterday's meeting concluded to change the name of the organization to the Association of Indonesian Garment and Accessory Suppliers. (kod)