GOVT TO SET UP FOUR MORE DDCs

Jakarta, Aug 19 (ANTARA) - The Industry Ministry plans to set up four more design development centers (DDC) in the country next year to improve the design quality of handicraft products.

"We will cooperate with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in setting up the DDCs," Director General of Small and Medium Scale Industries Fauzi Aziz said on Tuesday.

The DDCs will be set up in Aceh, Riau, Kalimantan and South Sulawesi. To date, the country has two DDCs, namely in Bali and Cirebon.

He said the improvement of design quality was very important to increase the sales of handicraft products.

"We are optimitic that handicraft goods as one of the products of the creative industry can contribute more to the state revenues. Our handicraft exports in 2007 alone were valued at Rp30 trillion," he said.

The Indonesian handicraft goods which have unique and typical characters could meet demands in the export market. Therefore, to develop the design quality of handicraft goods, the ministry would cooperate not only with the ITB but also with the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), he said.

"Jetro has so far assisted handicraftsmen in Yogyakarta in improving the design and quality of handicraft goods as part of efforts to enter the Japanese market. As a result, many handicraftsmen in Yogyakarta are now exporting their products to Japan," he said.

In addition, the government also had asked Jetro to provide guidance for Indonesian handicraftsmen to create products that meet market specifications in other countries besides Japan, he said.

"Jetro is ready to provide such guidance. Under the EPA, Jetro will provide us with know-how rather than funds," he said.