JAKARTA. The Indonesian Rattan Furniture and Craft Association (AMKRI) says it is optimistic that Indonesia will become the biggest furniture and handicraft exporter in Southeast Asia in the next decade.

“This is because we are rich in raw materials for furniture and we have a lot of human resources,” AMKRI secretary-general Abdul Sobur said in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Indonesia’s furniture export value reached US$1.8 billion last year, positioning the country as the world’s 18th largest furniture exporter.

The country ranked third in Southeast Asia after Vietnam and Malaysia.

Abdul stated his hope that the new Cabinet would introduce a regulation to help furniture businesspeople develop their products and export them to foreign markets. He added that the industry was important for the nation’s economy, as it could absorb the workforce.

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie