The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) noted that there was an increase in exports from the textile industry, textile products (TPT) and footwear. The increase was recorded in March 2023, compared to exports in February 2023. Director of the Textile, Leather and Footwear Industry, Directorate General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry (IKFT) of the Ministry of Industry, Adie Rochmanto Pandiangan, said that this increase was partly influenced by the Ministry of Manpower's policy which allowed industry to cut labor wages by 25 percent.

Apart from these factors, the Export Task Force formed by the government also contributed to a positive trend in the exports of the textile and footwear industry in March 2023. Currently, the Export Task Force is still in the stage of making an inventory of what steps the government needs to take to boost exports.

"But concretely, even though several steps have been taken, I illustrate that there was an increase in exports in March against February, the textile industry rose 16.87 percent. Then apparel rose 3.54 percent and leather, goods and footwear rose 16.84 percent. percent, up from February," Adie said during a press conference at the Ministry of Industry Office, Friday (28/4).

Through the Export Task Force, the government moved quickly to finalize the Indonesia-EU CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) trade agreement to open up Indonesia's export market to the European region.

Meanwhile regarding the Ministry of Manpower's policies contained in Permenaker 5/2023, Adie said that his party had received many positive responses from business actors. The reason is, 30 percent of the burden of production costs for the textile industry comes from employee wages.

"This is very helpful to friends. In their report this is very helpful in order for them to survive on export demand which is still unstable," he concluded.

Permenaker 5/2023 was signed by the Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah on March 7 2023. The regulation regulates certain export-oriented labor-intensive industrial companies or exporters affected by changes in the global economy can cut their salary by a maximum of 25 percent that is usually received per month.

The reason for making this regulation is to prevent layoffs in export-oriented labor-intensive industries where this industrial sector is faced with a sluggish export market which leads to layoffs of factory workers.

The export-oriented labor-intensive industries referred to in Permenaker 5/2023 include the textile and apparel industry, the footwear industry, the leather and leather goods industry, the furniture industry, and the children's toy industry. Meanwhile, the export destinations referred to in the regulation are specific to the United States and the European Union.