Workers produce knitwear at the Rajong Binong Jati Center, Bandung, West Java, on March 6, 2020. (https://www.thejakartapost.com/) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government has pushed back the deadline to achieve its import reduction target by a year as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected productivity and demand of industries.
According to Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, his ministry has decided to delay the deadline to reduce imports by 35 percent from 2021 to 2022.
The ministry is coordinating with other ministries to set up a comprehensive roadmap to reach the target.
In 2019, the government announced seven industry sectors that are prioritised for the import reduction programme, including the automotive industry, textiles, food and beverages, electronics, petrochemicals, medical equipment manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.
However, the programme was hampered by the downturn of domestic industrial production capacity, which stands at around 25-30 percent of its maximum capacity as a result of the pandemic./.
VNA
