Jakarta. The Indonesian government is preparing a strategy to revive the country’s textile industry, targeting the creation of up to 500,000 new jobs by 2030 while protecting existing employment.

The plan is part of efforts to strengthen the polyester, textile and garment industries and prevent further job losses, President Prabowo Subianto’s special adviser for labor and workers’ welfare, Said Iqbal, said on Friday.

Said made the remarks during a working visit to Asia Pacific Fibers (APF) in the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, where he received an appeal from 850 workers represented by the APF Mandiri labor union.

The workers expressed concerns about the company’s continued operations and the security of their jobs.

“We cannot wait until factory doors close and thousands of people lose their jobs before taking action. Early detection is the wisest and most humane step. That is what we are doing today,” Said said.

He said protecting existing jobs was an important part of the government’s job-creation strategy. The government would therefore review and evaluate policies that could affect companies’ ability to operate.

Said also discussed with APF management plans to develop an integrated textile industry across Central and West Java, involving large textile companies, supporting industries, micro and small businesses, cooperatives and home-based industries.

The sectors would be connected through an integrated textile supply chain to improve the competitiveness of Indonesia’s textile industry, he said.

“The textile industry is the backbone of the people’s economy. It absorbs a large workforce and supports various businesses. Therefore, this backbone cannot be allowed to bend,” Said said.

The target of creating 500,000 jobs by 2030 would be pursued gradually through the strengthening and expansion of the polyester, textile and garment industries and their supporting ecosystems, he said.

The government will coordinate the strategy across ministries and agencies, including state-owned financial institutions, the Finance Ministry, the Industry Ministry and the provincial governments of Central and West Java.

The policies will cover domestic industry protection, financing and investment support, supply-chain strengthening, productivity improvements, market expansion and worker protection, Said said.

“President Prabowo’s direction is clear: the state must protect the people and create jobs. Therefore, fiscal, industrial, trade and labor policies must move in the same direction,” he said.

Said said Indonesia had the market, workforce, industrial experience and production networks needed to revive its textile industry and strengthen its position in the regional market, including against competitors such as Vietnam.

“Do not allow layoffs to happen. Save industries that are still operating, then expand them to create new jobs. Saving jobs today and helping hundreds of thousands of people find jobs in the future are part of the same struggle,” he said.

 Data from the Manpower Ministry showed that nearly 80,000 textile workers lost their jobs in 2025, making the labor-intensive sector the largest contributor to layoffs in Indonesia.

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