Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association, Jemmy Kartiwa Sastraatmadja, said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the textile and textile product (TPT) industry has experienced ups and downs.
After previously successfully bouncing back in the fourth quarter of 2020, the enactment of micro-community activity restrictions (PPKM) earlier this year again weakened the textile industry.
"In the midst of improving performance. In the first quarter of 2021, the textile industry and textile products slowdown again," said Jemmy in the webinar Healthy and Advanced Indonesia: Post-Pandemic Economic Awakening.
Apart from Jemmy, the Webinar entitled Healthy and Advanced Indonesia: Post-Pandemic Economic Awakening also presented other resource persons, namely the Deputy Chairman of Commission VI of the DPR, Aria Bima; Economist, Rector of Unika Jaya Atma Jaya Jakarta Prasetyantoko; and CEO of PT Bogasari Flour Mills Franciscus Welirang; and Executive Secretary I of the National Economic Recovery Covid-19 Committee (KPC-PEN) Raden Pardede PhD as Key-note Speaker.
Jemmy said that the current Covid-19 vaccination program is expected to help the growth of the textile industry. "I am sure that after vaccination continues, recovery will occur for the textile industry," he continued.
He added that even though the pandemic had slowed down the growth of the textile industry, Jemmy said, the trade balance from last year to December 2020 was still a surplus.
Jemmy revealed that the textile industry experienced a growth slowdown in the first and second quarters of 2020 due to the cessation of domestic and foreign trade activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Utilization has dropped considerably. The textile economy has stalled because wholesale centers in Jakarta, for example, Tanah Abang Market or other areas have closed from March to June," he said.
Then, in the third and fourth quarters, they managed to bounce back, as evidenced by increased utilization, increased employment, as well as an increase in Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in the manufacturing industry.
Jemmy revealed that many workers who were previously dismissed in the first and second quarters returned to work. Jemmy also hopes that the government can provide an easing of the micro PPKM so that it can provide more space for the acceleration of national economic recovery.
He said the national textile sector employs 3.9 million people ranging from fiber to yarn, weaving is knitting, there are garments and other textile parts. Textiles absorb quite a lot of labor.
"We hope that with the Covid-19 vaccination taking place, the textile industry will revive again," said Jemmy.
