Three industrial sectors likely to win competition

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Three industrial sectors in Indonesia have an opportunity to win the competition in both domestic and international markets at present and in the future.

Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said here on Thursday that the thee industrial sectors were defense and security-based industry, natural resources-based industry, and creative industry.

"If we compete in technology industry that others have had, we will fail. But if the industrial development is based on our own strength, its competitive power would be outstanding," Kadiman said.

At the side lines of a workshop on technological planning and development to reach Indonesian vision as a new industrial country in 2020, the research and technology minister said the defense and security-based industry had a wider opportunity to become a high competitive industry.

He said that so long as defense and security product was concerned, the government would make every effort to use home-made products.

"The market for defense and security industry is expected to grow well because the president and vice president continue to encourage the people to use home-made products," Kadiman said.

While for creative industry such as batik, music, and films, Kadiman was of the opinion that Indonesia had wider opportunity to become world`s player.

"Other industry that has high competitive power is the natural resources-base industry such as agricultural, forestry, and fishery products," Kadiman said.

Therefore he admitted that the government should make policy, funds availability, and incentive for such industrial sectors to grow well and become the world`s players.

"The incentive can be in the form of fiscal and non fiscal. For example, whoever is able to develop herbal medicine from the plants in Indonesia should be given incentive, both fiscal and non fiscal," Kadiman said.

Meanwhile, Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said his office did not have special funds for technological invention and development to support the industrial development at home, so he left the effort to the Research and Technology Department.

"We hope the research and development institutions can develop the existing technology or to invent the new ones that can serve as the basis for industrial development in the country," Fahmi Idris said.(*)