Heaptalk, Jakarta — Indonesia officially took over the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX) leadership from Cambodia in Phnom Penh. (02/28) Following the handover, Jemmy Kartiwa, Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) and President of AFTEX, expressed optimism that the textile industry could grow by 20%.
“Despite the significant challenges facing Indonesia’s textile and textile product (TPT) industry, such as the flood of imported finished products and weak regulatory protections for labor-intensive industries, we, as industry players, remain optimistic about the sector’s future. We believe we can achieve 20% growth,” Jemmy stated.
API Executive Director Danang Girindrawardana added that achieving this target requires improvements in the industry ecosystem. “We observe how other textile and garment-producing countries are making significant regulatory adjustments to stay competitive globally. Indonesia must also continue to reform to sustain this labor-intensive industry, ensuring it can absorb the growing workforce every year,” Danang explained.
Moreover, with decades of experience in the industry, textile entrepreneurs are confident in implementing new strategies to revitalize the sector.
“Our extensive experience makes us optimistic about overcoming industry challenges through adaptive strategic steps. Our commitment to prioritizing customer needs and providing the best services remains the foundation of our business performance,” said Widjaya Djohan, President Director of TRIS, in an official statement on Friday. (02/28)
Djohan’s confidence is based on his company’s recent progress. As of Q3 2024, TRIS recorded sales of IDR 1.08 trillion, marking a 4% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Net profit also grew by 16% year-on-year (YoY), from US$3.2 million or around Rp53.77 billion to US$3.7 million or Rp62.23 billion.
“Around 60% of TRIS’s total sales, approximately US$38.7 million ( around Rp637.95 billion), come from the export market. This demonstrates our strong competitiveness in international markets, despite pressure from imported products in the domestic market,” Djohan concluded.
