Local products

From Neraca

It is impossible for the Indonesian government to stop the flood of foreign products by imposing high import taxes. Such an effort is out of date.

Encouraging the public to love local products and buy fewer foreign items is a better policy.

In the Fourth Development Cabinet, there was a state minister for the promotion of local products (UP3DN). Then, Ginandjar Kartasasmita and his office conducted many campaigns to promote local products.

Ginanjar Kartasasmita, in a National Chamber congress, said then that his office had only seen a few results from the campaigns, which may have been due to a local preference for foreign goods. The office was later closed.

All parties should continue the campaigns for local products while producers need to improve the quality of their products so that they are able to compete.

Even though oranges from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and apples from Malang, East Java, are a little bit sour, they are still okay. But please, don't sell them at a higher price than their sweeter foreign counterparts.

MURNIATI SUMANTRI

Jakarta