Window on our industry

Window on our industry

The contribution of the manufacturing sector to Indonesia's
gross domestic product has risen impressively from a mere 8.3
percent in 1969 to 24 percent in 1994, thereby laying a strong
foundation for our economy towards the take-off stage of
development.

We have been enjoying the fruits of the industrial growth and
expansion through our domestic market, which is fully stocked by
almost all kinds of manufactured products needed to satisfy the
demands of even the most sophisticated consumers of today.

But most of us may not know and neither can we visualize how
this impressive development is reflected in the physical
establishment of thousands of industrial plants scattered across
the vast archipelago, ranging from plywood mills in Irian Jaya to
a cement factory in the northern part of Aceh.

We are therefore greatly delighted to learn that a private
company, PT Napindo Mediapratama, which is chaired by
Sudwikatmono -- well known as the nation's cinema mogul -- is
preparing a videotaped presentation, which will provide, at the
push of a button, a complete visual description of all the types
of manufacturing industries we have built so far. The
technological information package, the PPI '95 Video Library,
will be launched in coincidence with the 1995 Indonesian
Production Exhibition to be held to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of our national independence in August.

The PPI '95 Video Library will have 50 titles, each of which
will provide the visual profile of one of the 50 major types of
manufacturing industries already developed. But what will make
the video series a historical archive of Indonesian industries is
the 51st video, which will summarize the 50 types of industries
and feature President Soeharto as the spokesperson for the
industrial success our nation has achieved so far.

The presidential seal of endorsement for the industrial video
library project not only lends great credence to the fact that
there is a need for such visual information material, but also
demonstrates the spirit of Indonesia Inc. -- good cooperation
between the government and the private sector -- which has made
the nation's industrial development a great success.

In the current era of accelerated economic globalization in
which the power of information determines the success or failure
of an endeavor, such informative material as that provided by the
PPI '95 Video Library will surely serve many purposes. Obviously,
the first benefit to the local public is easier access to
complete information about the industrial development in their
own country, which is presented in an entertaining manner. Such
enlightenment will help enhance our national pride, which in turn
can strengthen our self confidence.

The video library will also serve as handy promotional
material to help enlighten the international community, notably
businessmen, of the progress Indonesia has made in the
manufacturing sector and about what kinds of manufactured
products the country can supply to the international market. The
videos will address one of the complaints most often raised by
foreign businessmen interested in doing business with Indonesia
-- extreme lack of information about the archipelago.

Naturally, the video library will be only one component of the
full package of marketing services required to promote
Indonesia's products and the image of Indonesia Inc. overseas.
But that component will be a very important one as it will serve
as a bird's eye view to arouse the interest of viewers and
motivate them to look for more detailed information.

Indonesia's diplomatic offices and trade promotion centers
overseas, which also have often complained of the lack of
information materials, will be assisted greatly by the video
library in carrying out their tasks.

The producers apparently fully realized that the quality of
the video library should be first class and that its presentation
should be designed to be able to communicate effectively with the
international community. Hence, PT Napindo and Matari Inc., an
integrated marketing communications specialist, have set up a
special team to handle that monumental work. But obviously, the
production will not come cheap because first-class talent and
professionals from various disciplines have to be hired. That, we
think, makes it most imperative that the business community,
notably companies which have reaped great benefits from the
industrial growth and expansion, join hands in sponsoring the
great work.