Garment makers told to use local brands

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)