A strategic step was taken by the Ministry of Industry to improve the performance of the textile and textile product (TPT) industry. Namely, the program to replace the price discount for textile industry machines. Thus, companies can be more productive and competitive in the midst of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The textile industry is one of the sectors that has priority for development. Therefore, the government plays an active role in increasing the performance of the textile industry to meet the needs of the domestic and export markets as well as accelerating the national economic recovery," said

Director General of the Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry (IKFT) Muhammad Khayam last weekend.

The Director General of IKFT said that his party had initiated the provision of investment incentives for the textile industry. The stimulus is in the form of facilitating the use of machines and or equipment that are more modern, efficient, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.

The program is proof of Indonesia's commitment to fulfilling greenhouse gas emission mitigation in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26).

The program in 2021 focuses on the fabric refinement industry and the fabric printing industry. The machines and equipment that are given the stimulus are those that adopt industrial 4.0 technology. These include artificial intelligence, internet of things, augmented reality or virtual reality, advanced robotics, 3D printing, and machine-to-machine communication.

As a step in implementing the program, the director of the textile, leather and footwear industry has signed an agreement to provide a discounted price discount (P4H) for the restructuring program of machinery/equipment by the director of the textile, leather, and footwear industry with eight directors from a fabric improvement and fabric printing industry company.

The eight companies receiving the program include PT Surya Usaha Mandiri, PT Sinar Para Taruna, PT Guna Mitra Prima, and PT Budi Agung Sentosa. Furthermore, there are PT Ayoe Indotama Textile, CV Purnama Tirtatex, PT Sipatex Putri Lestari, and PT Dunia Setia Sandang Asli Textile.

Khayam hopes that these companies can continue to utilize the machines and equipment that have been invested to increase productivity, efficiency, and product quality in order to advance the company and the textile industry in general. "We will continue this program in 2022 and in the coming years to increase productivity and competitiveness of the textile industry and provide a positive signal for industries that will invest," he explained.