At Least 2.1 Million People May Lose Jobs

Kompas/P Raditya Mahendra Yasa

A worker arranges various kinds of half-finished furniture before it is sold to buyers in Ngabul village, Tahunan district, Jepara regency, Central Java, Friday (24/2). The handicraft and carving industry has been experiencing ups and downsand problems from raw materials to marketing.  Furniture makers in Jepara have to obtain Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) documents to enable them to penetrate the international market.

BANDUNG, KOMPAS — The country’s furniture industry is suffering a major slump. Due to the decline in competitiveness, Indonesia can no longer benefit from the comparative advantages of the country’s furniture products. The condition has threatened at least 2.1 million people, who depend on the furniture industry for a living.

"While Vietnam and Malaysia have successfully become major furniture exporting countries in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is losing its market due to a decline in competitiveness in the last two years. The government has not learned from the success of other countries,” vice chairman of the Association of Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industries (HIMKI) Abdul Sobur said in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday.