Government Encourages Economic Equality, Realizing the Vision of Golden Indonesia 2045
By: Karenina Lovita
The government continues to strive for economic equality by strengthening the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector as the main foundation of national economic growth. Various strategies have been implemented, ranging from easy access to capital, improving the quality of Human Resources (HR), to utilizing digital technology. All of these steps are expected to encourage MSMEs to develop more rapidly and contribute more to achieving the target of Golden Indonesia 2045.
The importance of synergy between the government, guarantee institutions, and the business community in order to create a more inclusive and sustainable business ecosystem.
The government considers that increasing HR capacity is an essential factor in encouraging the progress of MSMEs. Business actors need to have skills in managing finances and businesses professionally in order to be able to survive and thrive amidst increasingly dynamic economic competition.
The Assistant Deputy for Financing at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Niken Wulandari, emphasized that digitalization can be a solution in optimizing the financial management of MSME actors. The use of technology allows for neater and more transparent cash flow recording, so that business management becomes more effective. Increasing competence through various training programs is also considered capable of accelerating the acceleration of MSMEs towards a larger scale.
In addition to the financial aspect, the mentality and resilience of business actors are also major concerns in the economic transformation process. Senior Business Development of the Ministry of MSMEs, Sabilil Hakimi Abizuar, assessed that MSMEs need to have a more strategic mindset in developing their businesses. Not just chasing income, but also must focus on creating greater profits to support business sustainability.
Through the Sapa MSME program, the government provides support to business actors to be more confident in accessing financing from financial institutions.
In addition to strengthening human resources, the government also collaborates with various guarantee institutions to ensure smooth access to capital for MSMEs. PT Jamkrindo as one of the institutions that plays a role in this sector continues to be committed to providing broader credit guarantee services for MSMEs, cooperatives, and other business sectors.
By the end of 2024, the realization of guarantees achieved by Jamkrindo has reached IDR 300 trillion, with a guarantee capacity that is still open of more than IDR 200 trillion. This commitment is in line with the government’s efforts to create a more inclusive financial ecosystem and encourage sustainable growth of MSMEs.
The General Chairperson of the Indonesian Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative (INKOWAPI), Ir. Sharmila Yahya, also highlighted the importance of the role of guarantee institutions in supporting price stability and suppressing inflation. By forming the Sahabat Usaha Rakyat (Sahara) group in each sub-district, INKOWAPI has distributed capital in the form of merchandise for MSMEs to ensure the continuity of their businesses.
Support from guarantee institutions such as Jamkrindo is an important factor in maintaining price stability in the market. Through this mechanism, MSME actors have more flexible access to capital without being burdened with too much risk, so that they can focus more on developing their businesses.
In addition to capital support, strengthening MSMEs is also carried out through training programs and product curation aimed at improving product quality and expanding market opportunities. Former Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno assessed that MSME training and product curation play an important role in opening up economic opportunities while creating jobs.
The launch of the MSME Start Up program in Bogor City, West Java, is one of the concrete steps in supporting the transformation of MSMEs towards a more professional and competitive direction. In this activity, participants received direct evaluations from curators regarding various aspects of their products, ranging from packaging appearance, branding, taste, color, shape, to legality. This input becomes material for improvement for MSME actors so that they can improve the quality of their products and services.
Furthermore, this program also provides guidance in finding and practicing sustainable business opportunities. With structured assistance, MSME actors can build a stronger self-concept, increase motivation as entrepreneurs, and adapt to digital business trends in order to expand their market reach at the national and global levels.
Collaboration between the government, financial institutions, and business communities is a strategic step in encouraging economic equality. With integrated support, MSMEs can grow more rapidly and create more jobs for the community.
