Vice CEO of PT Pan Brothers Tbk and Group, Anne Patricia Sutanto dismissed the stigma attached to the Indonesian textile and textile products (TPT) industry as a sunset industry. In fact, this industry continues to grow and makes a significant contribution to the Indonesian economy. Anne said that since the 1998 crisis, the textile industry has been stigmatized as a sunset industry. "But we have to be fair to see the reality, where for almost 25 years the sun has not set, set, instead it still shines," said Anne in a video that was shown before President Joko Widodo at the Kompas100 CEO Forum event at the State Palace, Friday (2/2). 12).

Quoting data from the Ministry of Industry, the contribution of the TPT sector to the country's economy is relatively large. In the first quarter of 2022, the textile industry contributed 6.33% to the total GDP of the non-oil and gas processing industry sector. In addition, the TPT industry's export contribution to total national exports in 2021 will be 5.67% and during January-May 2022 it will contribute 5.33%. Furthermore, investment growth in this sector was recorded at IDR 6.5 trillion in 2021 and IDR 2.4 trillion in the first quarter of 2022.

Anne said the textile industry and textile products were integrated from upstream to downstream and had existed since the 1970s. The chain is complete, starting from the upstream, namely the raw material industry in the form of polyester (fiber) and rayon. In the midstream there are spinning, knitting, weaving to the downstream and the fabric and garment industry.

According to him, in order to continue to advance this industry, there must be complete, appropriate and fast reform of past legacy policies that burden domestic and foreign competitiveness.

"One of the main challenges in 2023 is how we tend to be compartmentalized into a unified industry, so that the solutions that emerge are for the whole industry. Like Scouts, each team is guided by a Senior Advisor. The government is the Senior Brother who is needed to harmonize the perspective of advanced Indonesian clothing," he said.

Previously, at the momentum of the 100 years of the Indonesian textile and textile products (TPT) industry on July 21, 2022, the Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the Ministry of Industry identified that the TPT industry was currently facing problems related to upstream and downstream supply chain connectivity. This is because the TPT industry sub-sector already has a complete upstream to downstream industrial structure but is not yet connected to each other, resulting in productivity inequality.

"The textile industry is a labor-intensive and export-oriented sector that is also capable of dealing with disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that increasing investment in the TPT industry in the country will be able to accelerate the growth of this sub-sector in harmony, from upstream to downstream," said Agus as quoted from a press release from the Ministry of Industry.