The Ministry of Industry continues to support the development of the handicraft industry as a sector that has the potential to grow and become a commodity that has high economic value. The handicraft industry, especially from small and medium industries (IKM), has advantages in the craftsmanship's hand skills with artistic and aesthetic values that are inseparable from Indonesian culture. “For a long time, our craftsmen have been exploring, developing, and preserving cultural heritage in various styles and characteristics of each. The diversity of the handicraft industry in the country has the potential to be increased into commodities that have economic value," said the Director General of Small, Medium and Multifarious Industries (IKMA) of the Ministry of Industry, Reni Yanita in Jakarta, Wednesday (9/11). According to Reni, the opportunity for handicraft products can have high economic value if it is also encouraged from the tourism sector in the local area. Because tourism is one of the mainstay sectors to bring in foreign exchange, create jobs, and increase local economic growth. The handicraft industry is one of the sub-sectors of the creative industry that has a significant contribution to the national economy. This is reflected in the performance of Indonesian handicraft exports in January-September 2022 which reached USD 725.54 million (Rp 10.6 trillion), up 6.94% compared to the same period the previous year of USD 678.42 million. "This achievement is quite encouraging, and hopefully it will continue to increase so that Indonesia can become one of the largest handicraft sector producers in the world," said Reni. One of the efforts made by the Ministry of Industry to boost the performance of the handicraft industry sector, among others, is through collaboration between parties in efforts to develop and promote the potential of Indonesian handicraft products. "Therefore, we are intensively collaborating with all stakeholders such as business associations, designers, academics, marketplaces to influencers to jointly promote the quality of domestic handicraft products," said Reni.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry is also actively collaborating with local governments to always explore the potential advantages of local products, as well as encourage the ability of regional industry players to be more competitive. "One of the efforts that have been made is by facilitating craftsmen in the regions to be able to exhibit at the Ministry of Industry's office to open up opportunities for craftsmen to exist again post-pandemic," he added. On November 8-11, 2022, the Ministry of Industry facilitated a multi-product exhibition of Special Jogja Crafts which was held by the Yogyakarta Special Region Government and the D.I. National Craft Council. Yogyakarta at the Industrial Exhibition Plaza of the Ministry of Industry, Jakarta. There were 52 IKM from Yogya who participated in this exhibition, by displaying handicraft industry products in the form of batik, lurik, silver, wood, knitting, leather, fashion, and processed food. Not only that, the Ministry of Industry through the Directorate General of IKMA also seeks to develop the potential of the handicraft industry through programs to increase competence and human resource capacity, product quality development, intellectual property certification, facilitation of machinery/equipment, as well as providing access to promotions and exhibition facilitation. All of these handicraft IKM development programs are carried out to increase the competitiveness and capacity of IKM actors. Reni also invites the public to continue to buy and use products made in the country, especially those made by SMEs. Because, so far, many products made in Indonesia are also proven to be favored by national and global markets. “We all have to knit a sense of optimism that national handicraft products can compete both domestically and internationally. We must be proud of domestically made products,” he concluded.
