By Zeinab Saber from Jakarta Indonesian Vice President Muhammad JusufKalla on Wednesday opened the Indonesian Handicraft Expo, Inacraft 2018,which is in its 20th year. More than 1,500 exhibitors are taking part in the handicraft fair, held at the Jakarta Convention Centre from April 25 to 29. GusmardiBustami, head of the Association of Exporters and Producers of Indonesian Handicrafts (ASEPHI), and TengkuErryNuradi, the Governor of North Sumatra attended the opening ceremony. "Industry needs to find something to add beauty to it. Handicrafts depend on Indonesianculture and art," MrKalla told the gathering during the opening ceremony. The Indonesian vice president stressed the key role of handicrafts and the creative economy in general, in boosting economic growth in Indonesia. The objective is to increase the contribution of the handicraft industries to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). He said that handicrafts, which are labour-intensive by nature,createjob opportunities "especially in rural and urban areas". Mr Kalla described the five-day event as "extraordinary" as it is a key driver for the Indonesian handicraft industry andwill help boost the creative economy in the long run. The handicrafts and the creative industries in general add high value to the economy. Inacraft, which was launched in 1999, has been an open marketplace for producers, merchants, exporters, exhibitors and shoppers for 20 years. The Indonesian government is targeting exports worth $2 billionof furniture and handicraft products in 2018. Mr Kalla confirmed the need to use e-commerce as a tool to increase exports and he said it was important to improve the quality of the products. According to him, setting standards that ensured high quality products would guarantee the inclusion of handicrafts in the e-commerce system.
