Government Ensures Active Role of MSMEs in the Success of Government Strategic Programs
Jakarta – The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to empowering MSMEs as an important pillar in the national economy. Through policies and various strategic steps, the MSME sector is expected to play an active role in supporting the success of government programs, including in the trade, exhibition, and financing access sectors. The existence of MSMEs, which contribute more than 60 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), cannot be underestimated in efforts to improve people’s welfare and create jobs.
Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission XIII, Arisal Aziz said that the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) prioritizes local products and regulates the circulation of cheap imported goods, especially those from China. According to him, cheap imported products often enter through illegal channels, which has the potential to harm domestic MSME actors. Therefore, Arisal emphasized the need for stricter regulations regarding imports and more intensive promotion of local products.
“The Ministry of Trade must support local products and strengthen import regulations as a strategic effort to maintain the sustainability of the MSME sector. This is a very important step to protect small business actors so that they can survive and thrive amidst fierce competition,” he said.
“The government is also committed to ensuring that digital platforms will support local products. That way, MSMEs can utilize technology to expand their markets and reach wider consumers, as well as increase their competitiveness in the global market,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government actively supports the implementation of events that can increase the competitiveness of MSMEs in the domestic and international markets. One of them is The Jakarta International Handicraft Trade Fair (INACRAFT), the largest handicraft exhibition in Southeast Asia.
The Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman stated that during this event, the targeted sales transaction could reach around IDR 100 billion.
“INACRAFT is a golden opportunity for MSME actors to promote their products to a wider market. This year, around 1,100 MSME actors are involved, which can open up job opportunities in various fields,” said Minister Maman.
The government through the Ministry of MSMEs continues to be committed to providing full support to MSME actors through the financing, marketing, and product capacity improvement training sectors. This step is in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s direction to strengthen the MSME sector as the main pillar in the Indonesian economy.
Then, in supporting MSME growth, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) also prepared a special credit stimulation policy for the MSME sector. The Chief Executive of OJK Banking Supervision, Dian Ediana, explained that this stimulus aims to accelerate the growth of MSME credit which is currently still experiencing a slowdown.
OJK will design regulations through the new Financial Services Authority Regulation (POJK) which includes the acceleration of business processes and other conveniences in distributing MSME credit.
“Through this policy, we hope that the MSME sector can recover quickly and develop more rapidly. Faster business processes and easy access to financing will provide the encouragement needed by small business actors to expand their businesses,” said Dian.
The active role of the community in appreciating and supporting the Government will accelerate the economic recovery process, as well as create a more inclusive and sustainable business ecosystem. With a stronger MSME sector, the Indonesian economy will be more resilient in facing global challenges and able to open up new opportunities for future generations.
