RI Construction Industry Potential Huge in AEC

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chair Suryo Bambang Sulistio said Indonesia’s construction industry would be able to vie in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in one or two years as it is one of Indonesia’s strengths in AEC.

“We have to concentrate more so that we can be more prepared in one year,” he said on Thursday.

According to Suryo, Indonesia’s national construction industry performance is excellent and absorbs many workers. In 2012, the national construction market reached Rp284 trillion and rose to Rp369 trillion in 2013. “It is predicted to reach Rp407 trillion this year,” he said.

Therefore, he added, construction service companies should not fret about AEC. “Don’t think defensively. We have to make the most of our chances in other ASEAN countries,” he said.

He continued that construction industry’s strength lies in human resources. Indonesia is believed to have relatively high competitiveness when it comes to construction workers among ASEAN countries. “Indonesia has 600,000 engineers with equal competence to those of other countries,” said Suryo.

Industry Ministry secretary general Ansari Bukhari previously said that industries had to formulate plans to increase their competitiveness. The plans, he explained, could be in the form of high-quality design or packaging that would help them sell. "Design is very important," he told Tempo. 

TRI SUSANTO