Heaptalk, Jakarta – The annual Indo Leather and Footwear Exhibition (ILF) is officially open at JIExpo, Jakarta, on Wednesday (07/31).
Opened by Trade Minister Zulkifli ‘Zulhas’ Hasan, together with Krista Exhibitions and Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo), the event is expected to amplify the downstream and upstream in the national footwear industry.
According to Zulhas, footwear industry managed to keep up with the current technology, thus this industry can be flourished.
“I observed that the industry players invest their capital in new machines, new technology, and new management method. The market size is also tremendous, and it demonstrates a growth of 17% annually,” stated Zulhas.
From the government’s side, Zulhas announced to strengthen diplomacy to create an agreement for 0% tax duty on the destination country. He mentioned that, the agreement with European Union, which was not deal for nine years can be finished on September this year.
“If the tax duty can be 0%, the footwear industry can enhance its growth by 5% to 6%. Even we can beat Vietnam’s record,” said Zulhas.
In addition to this measure, Zulhas also appreciate the initiative of Krista Exhibitions and Aprisindo for organizing this expo. According to Zulhas, ILF can assist industry players to promote their business to strengthen the ecosystem in this industry.
The Chairman of Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) Eddy Widjanarko conveyed that Indonesia has become the 3rd world’s largest footwear industry. The archipelago also obtained trust from multinational companies to produce their products, for example, Adidas Samba.
“Indonesia is trusted to produce 5 million Adidas Samba, and for the great performance of this industry, the export value contributed by footwear sector is predicted to enhance by 5% to 7% on the second half this year,” stated Eddy.
Eddy is optimistic that the total of export numbers can jump two times to three times if Indonesian economy remains good. This prediction derives from the innovation of footwear industry to sustainability. According to Eddy, Indonesia becomes the only country who complies to net zero emission mission as the entire footwear business players should utilize eco-green material by 2025.
“We should be proud, our industry can surpass other industries, such as textile and garment. Moreover, by 2025, all material we use can be decomposed in only 13 months and we become the only country who comply to net zero emission policy,” stated Eddy.
According to Eddy, through ILF, the industry players, from downstream to upstream, can meet directly and strengthen the collaboration to achieve this goal.
Align with Eddy’s statement, CEO of Krista Exhibitions, Daud Salim, on the Opening Ceremony of ILF stated, “This is the second organizing of ILF in the post-pandemic. This expo presents the innovation of leather, textile, and fashion and also becomes a comprehensive exhibition by showcasing downstream and upstream”.
ILF reportedly is participated by 350 exhibitors and 70 MSMEs from India, Italy, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, France, and Indonesia. Organized from 31 july to 2 August, the international leather and footwear expo targets to attract 10,000 visitors.
