The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) today released economic growth for the first quarter of 2021, which still recorded contraction both annually and quarterly, namely -0.74 percent and -0.96 percent, respectively.

In line with this, the processing industry is also recorded to have recorded a red report card or minus 1.38 percent with manufacturing at minus 0.71 percent. Although on a quarterly basis, this figure has shown an improvement from the fourth quarter of 2020 which was minus 2.22 percent.

Head of BPS Kecuk Suhariyanto said the textile and apparel industry experienced the deepest growth contraction or minus 13.28 percent because domestic and export demand was still not improving.

"The association also reported that the increase in oil prices also caused raw material prices to increase with a lower utilization rate," he said.

Meanwhile, Suhariyanto said that a number of non-oil and gas processing industry sectors also recorded growth, among which the highest was the chemical, pharmaceutical and traditional medicine industries at 11.46 percent.

Meanwhile, when it was confirmed regarding the lowest contraction, the Secretary General of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) Rizal Tanzil Rakhman said that his party was still analyzing the results.

Contacted separately, Secretary General of the Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers Association (APSyFI) Redma Gita Wirawasta said that the contraction in the textile industry has been quite high since the end of March until now.

"Because the market in the first quarter of 2021 was good, imports were a little due to container difficulties but at the end of March, the containers became available and imported goods entered again, especially in finished products that were sold online. "he said.