The Ministry of Industry continues to encourage the chemical, pharmaceutical and textile industries (IKFT) to make a significant contribution to national economic growth. In the first quarter of 2023, the IKFT sector's contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) reached 3.88 percent. "For the exports of the IKFT sector throughout 2022 it reached USD 53.97 billion, an increase compared to 2021 which was only IDR 49.21 billion," said Plt. Director General of IKFT Ministry of Industry, Ignatius Warsito in an official statement, Wednesday (14/6/2023).

The sectors that are the mainstay of these exports include the chemical industry and chemical goods of USD 21.41 billion and the apparel industry of USD 9.69 billion.

In the first quarter of 2023, from the contribution of the IKFT sector, the largest shipment value came from the chemical and chemical goods industry which reached USD 4.28 billion, followed by the apparel industry (USD 2.03 billion), the leather and footwear industry (USD 1 .94 billion), the rubber and plastic goods industry (USD 1.68 billion), the textile industry (USD 934.72 million), the non-metallic minerals industry (USD 306 million), as well as the pharmaceutical and traditional medicine industry (USD 175 million). . The total export value of the IKFT sector during the first three months of this year exceeded USD 11.35 billion.

Meanwhile, Warsito stated, investment performance in the IKFT sector showed an increasing trend. In 2022, the realization will reach Rp. 106.12 trillion, a significant increase compared to 2021 of Rp. 66.50 trillion.

"As of the first quarter of 2023, investment in the IKFT sector has reached Rp. 33.78 trillion which was dominated by investment in the chemical industry and chemical goods of Rp. 16.29 trillion, then the rubber industry, rubber and plastic goods of Rp. 4.50 trillion," he said.

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Warsito added, the results of the positive performance of the IKFT sector helped shape the Industrial Confidence Index (IKI) achievement into an expansion phase. "IKI in May 2023 is still at an expansion level of 50.90," he said.

IKI is a perspective index calculated based on three variables, namely orders, production, and inventory. An index with a value of more than 50 will indicate an expanding or optimistic industrial condition, on the other hand an index of less than 50 will indicate a contracting industrial condition.

"In the midst of current global economic uncertainty, the Ministry of Industry sees the need to monitor industrial conditions, which are the main supporting sectors of the national economy," he added. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry seeks to obtain accurate, complete and up-to-date information on the conditions of the manufacturing industry sector in Indonesia, one of which is through the implementation of the IKI survey.