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Minister calls for maintaining growth in manufacturing sector
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Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto speaks at the opening of a new milk factory belonging to PT Greenfields Indonesia in Malang, East Java, on May 4. (JP/Stefani Ribka)
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n response to improved growth in the manufacturing sector in the first quarter, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said the ministry and relevant stakeholders need to ensure that investment and infrastructure kept improving so that growth continues.
The medium and large manufacturing industry grew 4.33 percent year on year (yoy) in the first quarter, higher than the 4.08 percent in the corresponding period last year, while the small and micro manufacturing (IKM) sector grew 6.33 percent, higher than the 5.91 percent in the same period last year, Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data show.
“With more investment and better infrastructure, our industrial sector will keep accelerating. If we can keep electricity prices stable and make gas prices competitive, it can advance even more,” he said Thursday.
The minister has often said that various tax incentives and solutions to industrial challenges, like high power rates, are in the hand of various stakeholders, like the Finance Ministry and the Energy and Mineral Resources.
The higher growth came from various businesses, including chemical production that increased the highest by 9.59 percent, followed by food and rubber and plastic articles that increased 8.2 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.
Manufacturing businesses that experienced a decline included textiles, beverages and wooden, bamboo and rattan products. (bbn)
