Durian. Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry said batik has become one of the country’s major industries as it currently employs more than 200,000 people. Batik is also considered a national major asset with the ability to compete in global market.
Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said as more and more Indonesians wear batik, the industry has subsequently become a huge source of income and a big part of Indonesian economy at large.
“The batik industry is able to absorb more than 200,000 people in more than 47,000 business units,” Uno said in a virtual meeting on Oct.2.
Furthermore, head of Indonesia’s National Standardization Agency Kukuh S. Achmad added that despite batik’s potential to become more popular among global consumers, the government remains responsible to support and push batik producers to improve the quality of their product through national standardization.
“The government must drive producers to enhance the quality of their batik through the implementation of SNI [Indonesia National Standard]. In addition to providing protection to consumers, SNI also acts as a guidance to increase the competitiveness of Indonesia’s local products,” Achmad explained.
Batik industry continues to grow in almost every region in Indonesia. It is dominated by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) spread in 101 business centers in the country.
Batik is recognized by UNESCO is the world’s intangible cultural heritage from Indonesia.
