Labor-Intensive Industry to Absorb More Workers

Jakarta (Antara) - Businesses grouped under labor-intensive industries expressed their readiness to boost investment in a bid to absorb more workforce and increase exports. "If the government is able to remove investment barriers, then industries will be able to double their labor absorption rates," Rudy T. Luwia, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Handicraft and Furniture Industries Association (Asmindo), stated here on Thursday. "If investment barriers are removed, we are convinced that we can increase exports and double our labor absorption capacity," he remarked while emphasizing Indonesia's huge potential. The association's data revealed that Indonesia's furniture product exports were worth US$1.8 billion while the world's market potential reached US$400 billion. So far, the furniture industry has employed a total of 3.6 million workers. "But, our achievement to provide jobs for these workers is still lower as compared to Malaysia and Vietnam," he pointed out. (*)