MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN N. SUMATRA GROW BY 6.42 PERCENT

Medan, North Sumatra 17 Syawwal 1435/13  August 2014 (MINA) – Large and small manufacturing industries in North Sumatra have grown by 6.43 percent in the second quarter of 2014, according to a local statistics office.

“The growth of the industries is driven by the development of wooden, cork, bamboo and rattan mats, food, paper and paper product industries,” head of the statistics office, Wien Kusdiatmono, said here on Saturday.

Manufacturing of wooden products rose by 9.87 percent, foods 9.68 percent and paper 3.72 percent, antaranews quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“Manufacturing industries could grow even higher if growth in other industries does not drop,” he said.

Those industries that reported declining growth included basic metal, rubber and rubber products, as well as the plastics and chemical product industries.

The secretary of the North Sumatra chapter of the Association of Indonesian Employers (Apindo), Laksamana Adyaksa, meanwhile said that the growing manufacturing industries have prevented the region from suffering from larger declines in the economy and exports.

“The increasing manufacturing industries have curbed a bit of the regions current economic and exports decline,” he said.

He added that the industries of wood, foods and paper have increased because market demand at home and abroad for these products have remained stable, compared to other commodities, such as agricultural products.

The drop in industrial products could not be avoided, because of the global crisis that has caused demand to decline, he said. (T/Syt/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)