The Impact Of COVID-19, The Government Makes It Easier To Import Raw Materials

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The outbreak of the corona virus or COVID-19 in China has an impact on the country's manufacturing industry. In fact, Indonesia is one of the countries that is quite dependent on China for raw material needs.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said the country's manufacturing industry raw materials still depend around 20-30 percent from China, some even up to 50 percent. The government also, based on President Joko Widodo's order, will make it easier for Indonesian companies to import raw materials for their production.

"So we will also see what steps we can take to support the acceleration of imports of raw materials, which are currently running low in various manufacturers. So the President asked all of us to make it easier to import raw materials," said Sri Mulyani at the Presidential Palace. , Monday March 2nd.

However, he said, not all companies whose imports would be made easy, Sri Mulyani said only importers with a good reputation would get this convenience.

"For example, like importers with high reputations, there are about 500 companies that should be freed to procure raw materials so that they are not blocked by letter permits and others. The main thing is they import them so that production can continue," said Sri Mulyani.

This answered the Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who once said that several industries began to be disturbed by the impact of this virus outbreak. One of them is the textile and textile products industry, because industries that produce raw materials from China have started to stop their operations.

"So the national industry must look for sources of raw materials from other countries. Of course this will affect prices and will affect the competitiveness of the industry itself," explained the Minister of Industry.