Businesses Ask for Easier Access to Raw Material

Kompas/P Raditya Mahendra Yasa

A worker piles various types of semi-finished furniture before being sold to collectors in Ngabul village, Tahunan district, Jepara regency, Central Java, Friday (24/2). In its development, furniture and carving craft industry experience ups and down due to the problems of raw materials to marketing. Currently furniture business people in Jepara have to have timber verification and legality system to penetrate the international market.

CIREBON, KOMPAS – Furniture makers using rattan fear they will not be able to compete in the international market because of the difficulty they face in getting the raw material. This could potentially cause a decline in customer loyalty, which would easily trigger a decline in the export value of furniture.

“Recently, a customer from the Unites States had to wait for three months because the raw material of rattan that we needed was not available. I am left to accept paying for the compensation,” said Kampung Wisata Rotan Galmantro foundation chairman Solihin on Wednesday (2/8) in Cirebon, West Java.