Thousands of Furniture Businessmen Threaten to Leave Indonesia
20 September 2015 20:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Furniture and craft businessmen lamented that the government’s does not seriously pay attention to the growth of upstream wood industries.
The businessmen also threatened to shift their business to the neighboring countries because bureaucracy in Indonesia is complicated and there is no legal certainty as well.
"Thousands of our colleagues in Sidoarjo are ready to move to neighboring countries next," said Secretary General of The Indonesian Rattan Furniture and Craft Association (AMKRI) Abdul Sobur on Saturday (19/9).
Sobur added that AMKRI also regretted the country’s complicated bureaucracy, especially after the government obliged businessmen to obtain the Wood Legality Verification Process as a prerequisite to export next year.
According to Sobur, this policy is ill targeted because it should have been applied to upstream industries. Sobur also said that to obtain the documents takes time and expensive - reaching Rp50 million - thus giving additional burden to small and medium scale businessmen.
ROBBY IRFANY
