Abundant Raw Materials, Potential Aceh Develop Furniture Industry

Potential Aceh Develop Furniture Industry

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Banda Aceh - The vast supply of raw materials makes Aceh a very potential area to advance the furniture and handicraft industries. In fact, furniture made from wood and rattan, until now still remains a mainstay for the craft of the people because the raw material is relatively easy to find.

This was conveyed by the Assistant General Administration of the Regional Secretary of Aceh, Drs Kamaruddin Andalah, while reading the written greeting of Aceh Governor Drh Irwandi Yusuf M Sc, at the inauguration of the Regional Board of the Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industry Association (DPD-HIMKI) Aceh in the Multipurpose Hall of Setda Aceh , Thursday (26/10/2017).

"In fact, furniture made of rattan was very likely to be developed, because the production of rattan Aceh is still quite a lot. Each year Aceh is capable of producing up to 250,000 tons of raw rattan. Unfortunately, 75 percent of the rattan is exported to other areas, especially to Medan and Cirebon, "said Kamaruddin.

Kamaruddin believes, if most of the raw materials are processed in Aceh, would make the area nicknamed Serambi Mecca as one of the largest furniture and rattan development center in Indonesia.

"If Aceh becomes one of the areas of furniture development, it will open employment, which will simultaneously reduce unemployment and reduce poverty," Kamaruddin continued.

As is known, the unemployment rate in Aceh is quite high, more than 7 percent or the second highest in Sumatra. Even Aceh's poverty is the highest in Sumatra. Therefore, the Aceh government strongly supports the presence of HIMKI because the growing of this sector, it will undermine the unemployment rate and reduce the poverty rate.

Reflecting on the current potentials and conditions, the Government of Aceh period 2017-2022 plans to develop a mission to improve people's craft business. As is known, Aceh Government Irwandi-Nova has Aceh Creative Program.

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"The Aceh Creative program focuses on three core objectives, namely the provision of locally-oriented local resource-based production centers, providing protection for local products to compete with products from outside Aceh, and stimulating the birth of potential creative industries in the service sector , "Added Kamaruddin.

Therefore, as a forum for gathering furniture and handicraft entrepreneurs, HIMKI Aceh is expected to support the success of this program. for that the Government of Aceh hopes that this organization can continue to be strengthened and ready to run programs that are in line with the Government of Aceh's mission.

"As we know, furniture and handicraft businesses can not be separated from other sectors, such as trade, tourism, SMEs and so on. Therefore, we need to increase this effort to be able to provide a multiplier effect for the economic movement of the people, "Kamaruddin added.

HR, Market Reach and Facilities Support

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On that occasion, Kamaruddin also explained that in order to promote the furniture and craft business, there are at least three things that need to be a common concern, namely related to Human Resources, especially related to the ability of innovation in producing creative works according to market needs.

"We see, Aceh's human resources to develop the works of furniture is still limited. The work is also still using the traditional ways. Therefore it is necessary to increase the capacity of human resources so that the creative process can be improved. "

The next thing that is very important to note is the lack of market coverage. "Currently, the transportation system has been much better than the past, even already connected nationally and internationally. Therefore, promotional measures and product quality improvement we need to do more optimal. "

"Finally, support and facilities for this business is still very minimal. Moreover, we know, the business sector of furniture and handicrafts people generally enter the category of SMEs that often face capital constraints. In this case, much needed banking support in order to strengthen the existing business so that the activists of this business more freely move, "said Kamaruddin.

To that end, continued Kamaruddin, the Government of Aceh continues to strive to encourage various policies at the central level for the craft of the people to enter Aceh, in order to step this business forward massive.

"The Government of Aceh hopes that the furniture and handicraft businesses will be able to develop from the upstream to downstream sector, so that the raw materials from Aceh can be processed directly into finished materials."

MEA and Business Development Opportunities

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On the occasion, Kamaruddin also revealed that the ASEAN Economic Community policy will be an opportunity that should be utilized to develop the business.

"The Government of Aceh will prepare a number of programs in order to advance the creative economy business. However, by simply expecting the Government's efforts, its driving force will not be effective. The role of the business world, banking and other private sectors is also urgently needed, "Kamaruddin said.

Currently, continued Kamaruddin, the Government of Aceh awaits concrete plans from HIMKI Aceh to strengthen the development of furniture business and creative works of the people in this area. "Therefore, the steps of HIMKI Aceh to organize a seminar and to sign a number of cooperation with the parties, certainly a breakthrough that we deserve support together."

The implementation of this cooperation seminar and MoU is expected to find solutions to various obstacles to promote the people's furniture and handicraft business in Aceh so that the process of technology transfer and knowledge transformation to the Acehnese artisans works well.

"No less important, we also hope that this effort will grow to the gampong area, so that the development program of the gampong we are enforcing is strengthened by the creative effort of the community, so our dream of creating gampong-gampong mandiri in Aceh can be realized through One village One product," pungkas Kamaruddin. (Ngah)

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