Industry Ministry boosts cement industry competitiveness

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Oleh Wawan Budiyanto, Senin, 20 Maret 2017 | 17:28 WIB - Redaktur: Filmon Warouw - 671


Jakarta, InfoPublik – Industry Ministry’s director general for chemical, textile, and miscellaneous industries Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono said the ministry continues to boost national cement industry competitiveness. The measures taken by the ministry are controlling imports of cement and clinker, encouraging diversification of cement based products, and implementing Indonesia National Standard (SNI) on cement.

"Cement industry players in the country are expected to continue to create a culture of innovation to improve competitiveness in the midst of increasingly fierce competition in both regional and international level," Sigit said in Jakarta, Sunday (3/19).

He said innovations will give advantages to the company to become more efficient in dealing with the surplus of national cement production.

"Cement industry is expected to transform in accordance with industry technology development 4.0 that can be implemented gradually," he said.

Sigit said that the skyrocketing housing and property construction is a factor that boosts cement demand. "About 80 percent of cement demand come from the public," he said.

Development of a country can be seen from the growth of its cement industry. "If the cement industry in a country is growing, the development will also grow,” he explained.

Meanwhile, State University of Semarang’s (Unnes) economic expert Muhammad Feriady said Rembang cement plant will bring positive impact to the micro-economic sector in the surrounding area.

"If the economic activity of cement plant moves, the other sectors such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will also move," he said.

He added that industrialization in a province will have an effect on local revenue (PAD). Thus, in this case, Central Java Province development will be better.

"If the infrastructure and human resource development run well, the welfare will increase, especially in the area around Rembang—one of poor areas in Central Java," he concluded. (Translator: Wilda Stiana)