Commerce Chamber Calls For Optimization Of Wood Product Exports

Jakarta, Nov 12 (Antara) - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has called for the optimization of exports of wood products to all target countries, along with legal assurances. "Kadin hopes that the national furniture and craft manufacturers can boost their exports to reach US$3 billion next year," Kadin`s Deputy General Chairman for Regional Empowerment, Natsir Mansyur said on Tuesday. He added that Indonesia`s furniture and craft industries had so far contributed quite significantly to the country`s export performance. Last year they contributed up to US$2.6 billion to the country`s foreign exchange earnings, consisting of US$1.8 billion from furniture and US$800 million from craft exports. Meanwhile, the General Chairman of the Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (Asmindo), M Taufik Gani, said that the furniture and craft industries were quite strategic because they were labor-intensive. "No less than four million people are working in these industries," he pointed out. He further stated that at present Asmindo had 2,216 members and 80 percent of them had been categorized as small and medium businesses. Taufik further said the rate of local contents used in the business had reached almost 100 percent and had made the industry able to withstand a crisis. The Indonesian Furniture and Craft Association (AMKRI) has said that Indonesia will now target non-traditional markets, mainly in South Africa in view of that country`s potential. "South Africa is extraordinary. It has cooperated with an Indonesian state-owned company to build houses and they would certainly need furniture. We will go there," AMKRI Secretary General Abdul Sobur said at a press conference on Saturday. He said Indonesia must immediately enter the South African market through exhibitions held in the region because it could lose the opportunity if China entered the market too. He said the South African market had not been exploited well so far, but believed that during the next three to five years Indonesia would be able to enter the market.