Jemmy Kartiwa Sastraatmaja, General Chairman, Indonesian Textile Association (API), says, the recent issuance of the Minister of Trade Regulation No 36 of 2023 by Indonesia’s government might trigger a huge influx of batik-patterned fabric from abroad, particularly China, affecting small-scale IKM batik craftsmen.
Introduced at a rather unfortunate times, the policy aims to regulate batik textile products imports for ministry agencies and general public, notes Mohammad Faisal, Executive Director, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE). To make it more effective, the government should focus on improving access to local products in the domestic markets, he adds.
Nailul Huda, Director-Digital Economy, Center of Law and Economic Studies (CELIOS), emphasises, the government should introduce stricter controls on batik and batik-patterned cloth imports, especially those from China, as they are impacting local producers.
The government needs to prioritise batik sourcing from local producers rather than foreign imports. It also needs to introduce new policies to help balance imports with domestic batik products, he adds.
