Businessmen Should Consume Local Products while Working on A Strategy to Survive in Crisis

President Director of Maspion Group, Alim Markus, said that it was a big mistake if local businessmen did not consume local products.

Increase of Consumption of Local Products was stimulated by Presidential Instruction on Increase of Consumption of Local Products and Regulation of Minister of Trade on Supervision over Five Import Products. He said that his company consumes mostly local components and raw materials.
Businessmen must find a strategy to solve problems in order to satisfy the customers. Problems could happen in price, quality, and after-sales service. Therefore, he named his company MASPION or Mangajak Anda Selalu Percaya Industri Olahan Nasional (Asking You to Always Trust Local Products).

A majority of the products of his company were sold to the local market. Therefore, amid the present global crisis, his company recruited 250 new employees in October 2008 – April 2009.
On his company’s sales, Alim commented that in first quarter of 2009, sales increased 25%. He added that his company was preparing construction of four LPG tanks with a capacity of 10,000 kilograms in the framework of conversion of oil to gas.

“The total investment value was USD 30 millions. This amount is obtained from the company’s equity and from Bank Mandiri”, he said. His company also planned to produce electric-saving lights considering that demand for this kind of products continued to increase. “Formerly, Maspion produced electricity-saving lights, but it did not last for long. Now, production of electricity-saving lights will be put back into operation due to high demand”.

Deputy General Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gunadi Sindhuwinata, said that national independence can be achieved by empowering businessmen to consume local products. One of the attempts way by re-branding of local products. The reason was, according to him, competition was not due only to products, but also due to flow of humans from one country to another. So, what we must pay attention is how to reduce flow of import to Indonesia, and whether we are able to compete.