April 12, 2025 | 04:55 pm
TEMPO.CO, Solo - Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan acknowledged the significant impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose import tariffs on businesses and the labor sector. However, the minister, often referred to as Noel, sees this momentum as an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its industrial self-sufficiency.
"There will surely be an impact. But this is actually a momentum for us to be capable. There is energy self-sufficiency, food self-sufficiency, why don't we talk about our industrial self-sufficiency?" Noel told reporters after visiting the private residence of the 7th President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), in Sumber, Banjarsari District, Solo, on Friday, April 11, 2025.
During his visit to Solo, he met with representatives from the textile industry. Noel revealed positive news regarding the Trade Ministerial Regulation (Permendag) No. 8 of 2024, which has been a long-standing concern for businesses in the textile and textile product sectors, has now come to the attention of President Prabowo Subianto. Permendag No. 8 of 2024 is a revision of Permendag No. 36 of 2023, which governs import policies and regulations in Indonesia.
"So, this trade regulation is related to technical regulations that are deemed unfavorable to the textile industry. All of this must be reported to the President, and the President must be aware of it. Ministries will no longer make decisions that do not support our domestic industry," he asserted.
He pointed to the import of finished goods as detrimental to the domestic textile industry. According to him, Permendag No. 8 inadvertently legitimized this practice, which negatively impacted domestic industrial businesses, particularly the textile sector, due to the influx of imported finished products. This situation was further compounded by the issue of illegal imports. "Not to mention the illegal ones. Our textile industry is already in a precarious state with the legal imports, let alone the illegal ones," he lamented.
The Indonesian government intends to establish regulations that are more supportive of domestic industries. It is reported that President Prabowo has instructed Permendag No. 8 to be either revoked or revised. Noel also expressed his hope that the textile industry in Indonesia will experience robust growth by being included in the national strategic program and through the establishment of textile-focused industrial zones.
He expressed his belief that if the United States, under President Trump, can implement measures to protect its own industries, then President Prabowo and Indonesia will similarly safeguard their domestic industries.
"Now, eventually, all countries in the world are protecting their domestic industries. Let's not create import cartels again in the future. And I want to emphasize this again, this is the real enemy of our industry," he emphasized.
Noel further stated that the nation must adopt policies that are conducive to the growth of domestic industries, given their significant contributions to the economy. "Imagine if one factory can employ 20,000 or 10,000 workers; this would certainly alleviate the country's burden. At the very least, it will reduce the rates of poverty and unemployment," he concluded.
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