Jakarta, Nov 7 (Antara) - Aceh province has expressed its readiness to supply raw rattan to rattan-based product manufacturers in West Java's Cirebon District and serve as one of the raw rattan producers in Indonesia besides Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
Raw rattan has been the subject of business bickering between rattan farmers, collectors, or entrepreneurs and rattan handicraft industry at home.
Raw rattan producers claimed that home industry was still unable to absorb their stock, and hence they fight for exporting the goods. Meanwhile, rattan-based manufacturers often complain of shortage of raw rattan stock.
After all, the government has lifted the Trade Minister's Regulation (Permendag) No. 35 Year of 2011, which banned the export of raw rattan and its semi-finished rattan products.
Now, the rule in force is the Trade Minister's Regulation No. 38 Year of 2017 on the second amendment of Permendag No.84 Year of 2016 concerning the provisions on the export of forestry and industry products.
Under the regulation, the export of semi-finished rattan-based products is allowed as long as the products pass a surveyor's inspection before being exported.
Cottage rattan manufacturers are worried by this regulation as they fear businesses might utilize loopholes in the Permendag to export raw rattan.
Therefore, some rattan-based manufacturers in one of the country's production center, especially, Cirebon District, in West Java, have often complained of shortage of rattan materials. They stated their complaints when Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, the running mate of Presidential Candidate No. 2 Prabowo Subianto visited Cirebon on Oct 24.
Rattan businessmen, one of whom is Pak (Mr) Mulyadi, hoped that Prabowo and Uno, if elected in the 2019 presidential race, would change the policy or regulation on the export of raw rattan, which makes it difficult for crafters to obtain raw materials.
"Rattan manufacturers employ a lot of laborers. But the export policy for rattan semi-finished materials has hit the rattan industry hard, and led to unemployment," Mulyadi remarked.
The rattan industry in Cirebon is carried out in homes. But now, many do not get it," he added.
Another rattan craftsman, named Maria, revealed the same fact on the difficulty in getting rattan raw materials.
"This regulation must be cleared. Only a handful of people can control rattan raw materials, even though at the farmer level, raw materials are accumulated.," Maria noted.
During a meeting at the rattan production center, Uno was given a rattan bag. Arif, who is also a rattan craftsman, asked the former Jakarta deputy governor to give a name for this type of postman bag.
"A bag like this is the same as that of a postman's bag. Since it is made of rattan, I have named it Postan, a postman bag made from rattan. Hopefully, it will strengthen our exports," Uno explained.
Regarding the shortage of rattan raw materials, Aceh Province, especially West Aceh District, noted that it was ready to provide raw materials for rattan industry in Cirebon. The head of West Aceh District, Banta Puteh Syam, stated that farmers in his region are ready to produce rattan raw materials to support the national industrial needs in the long term.
"I will encourage people in all rattan forest areas in West Aceh to really help in this cooperation. I also hope this will get the support of all parties," he added in Meulaboh on Wednesday (Oct 24).
West Aceh District Government held a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cirebon local government in the provision of rattan raw materials. This cooperation was signed by Vice District Head Banta Puteh with Deputy Cirebon District Head Selly Andriany Gantina, in West Aceh, on Tuesday (Oct 23).
Syam noted that there were still forest rattan production centers and rattan plants in West Aceh, such as in Sungai Mas Sub-District, Woyla District, Arongan Lambalek District, and Pante Ceureumen District.
Syam hopes that this MoU will become a reference for the development of rattan raw materials in West Aceh, while at the same time increase the rattan production, so that it can increase Regional Original Income (PAD) and the income of rattan farmers in West Aceh.
"I hope that this cooperation will not only be limited to providing rattan raw materials but also encourage rattan farmers in West Aceh to develop extensive rattan land," he added.
West Aceh District Head H. Ramli MS has asked his Cirebon counterpart to facilitate the marketing of West Aceh rattan products in Cirebon, because it was known that Cirebon District was the center and rattan terminal in Indonesia.
"Rattan entrepreneurs in Cirebon have a hard time getting raw materials for industrial needs because there is no rattan forest in Cirebon. Hence, rattan entrepreneurs in Cirebon buy rattan raw materials from the islands of Sulawesi and Kalimantan," he elaborated.
Cirebon Deputy District Head Selly Andriany Gantina hoped that entrepreneurs in West Aceh will not only sell raw rattan but also semi-finished raw material, so that the profits obtained would be higher and rattan farmers in West Aceh would prosper.
"I really hope that this cooperation will be mutually beneficial between the two parties. I also hope that through this cooperation, farmers in West Aceh, who have been planting oil palm so far, would be willing to plant and cultivate rattan," he pointed out.***3***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/Suharto) 08-11-2018 00:07: |
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