Lombok textile industry gets aid

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The New Zealand government plans to assist in the development of a traditional textile mill, known locally known as a gedogan, in West Nusa Tenggara.

The head of the provincial trade and industry office, Bustinir, said here on Wednesday that a number New Zealand officials surveyed cloth weavers in 2000 to get first-hand information about traditional textile mills in the province, Antara reported.

The survey was conducted in Pringgasela village in East Lombok district, Sukarara village in Central Lombok, Tanjung village in West Lombok, and through informal meetings with local weavers in the districts of Sumbawa and Bima, he said.

The plan follows on the heels of the New Zealand government's success in helping West Nusa Tenggara craftsmen produce traditional earthenware.

Besides providing guidance on designing, improving the quality of and marketing the woven cloth products, he said the New Zealand government would also provide financial assistance for the local craftsmen to develop their businesses. --Antara