Indonesian Designers Ready for Free Market

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The ASEAN Economic Community that willl be established in 2015 will not be a problem for Indonesian interior designers. Harry Waluyo, Director General of Media, Design, Science, and Technology Based Creative Economy, said that interior designers have become part of the international community.

"Since 1989, the Indonesian designers association have joined with the Asia Pacific designer association, so [Indenesian designer's] quality has been acknowledged," said Harry after the opening of the Asia Pacific Space Designer Alliance (APSDA) meeting on Monday, September 15, 2014.

He said that the ASEAN free market presents a big opportunity for Indonesian designers to work on projects in other Southeast Asian countries.

"Indonesian interior designers have been ready since long ago to face AEC. They are part of the international community," he said.

APSDA chairman Francis Surjaseputra said that the meeting will discuss issues related to certification of interior designers. "The certification needs to be clear among ASEAN member [countries]," he said.

The forum also marked the beginning of the Asia Pacific Exchange, which is a cooperative exchange of designers between APSDA member states. For example, Indonesian interior designers will have a chance to work on a project in Thailand for two weeks. They will receive accommodation and transportation, but will not get paid. "But they will get valuable experiences," said Francis.

UKKY PRIMARTANTYO