Some of the problems are the lack of raw materials, cheap furniture from China, insufficient technology in furniture industry, and funding difficulties for small-to-medium entrepreneurs in having a loan from the banks or finance institution, and also monotonous product designs.

According to General Secretary of Foreign Trading from Indonesian Trades Department, Diah Maulidah, furniture industry in Indonesia has to be more innovative in looking for its form and direction in order to compete with furniture from overseas.
“Thus, the Government, through its trades department, has planned several programs to develop the furniture and handicraft industry, such as trading exhibition and education,” stated Diah. She also added that the exhibition event, such as Jakarta Fair would give a positive impact towards furniture industry.

One of the most important factors which quite affected the furniture industry is the problem of raw materials. Nonetheless, it is regrettable that the distribution of processing such raw materials is not properly implemented.

Such statement was also said by the President Director of PT Jakarta International Expo, as the organizer of Jakarta Fair 2006, Siti Hartati Murdaya.
“Law enforcements are not working to their best, and it is considered to be the cause of illegal logging happened everywhere, which affected the difficulty in finding raw materials,” said Hartati, who is also an entrepreneur in woods industry.
In her opinion, law implementation that had been suggested by the government in relation with woods industry is impracticable towards the people who abuse their authority. Thus, Hartati asked the entrepreneurs in woods industry to attempt in using alternative raw material instead of using traditional ones only, such as teak or mahogany.
“This is one way in anticipating the raw material scarce,” Hartati affirmed. On the other hand, it is important to have a standardization to overcome the competition and gain the products with good quality.
“Indonesian Industrial Standard or IIS has to be the most importance consideration,” said Hartati.

Government’s policies, law enforcements, and innovation from the stakeholders in looking for alternative raw materials, applicable technologies, designs, and protection provided for such designs have become important factors to encourage furniture sectors, including the trading exhibition such as Jakarta Fair, which also exhibiting qualified furniture products.
“It is obvious that furniture industry in Indonesia has to be able in increasing the competition,” said Hartati.

Sutrisno, one of the participants in the Jakarta Fair, agreed in this matter, and said that Jakarta Fair is very effective in exhibiting his products.
“It is proved that as long as this Jakarta Fair going on, up to now, our selling has gone well. Not only the domestic buyers, but also buyers from abroad,” said he, proudly.


pit/Public Relation
JIExpo 2006