Minister Teten: PON Papua Becomes Momentum to Highlight Leading Local MSMEs

The Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, enthusiastically welcomed the preparations for the XX Papua PON 2021 which showed encouraging developments.

According to Teten, this activity is the right event to provide a stage for Papua's best sons and daughters, from the aspect of sports achievements to the proud products of local MSMEs.

“Papua has a very rich variety of narratives and potential products. I really hope that we can optimize this moment of PON Papua 2021 to bring up Papua's leading local MSMEs to be victorious in the country, and ready to compete in the export market," said Teten when opening the Smesco Papua Event with the theme "PON XX Papua 2021 Success, Torang. Can! MSME/IKM Upgrading” online, Tuesday (14/9/2021).

Not only that, Teten also hopes that the 2021 PON XX Papua can be an opening in the synergy between the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Smesco Indonesia, and the Papua Provincial Government in encouraging the digitization of Papuan MSME players, from market traders, to curating Papuan local MSME products.

Smesco Indonesia itself is building a future SME transformation ecosystem.

One of them is the East Smesco Hub which is expected to be a logistics solution for MSMEs in Papua, export support, financing, and other forms of assistance. Papua also has excellent seeds in the creative economy.

"This creative young generation will later be the key in producing entrepreneurs based on creativity and technology in the future," said Teten.

Teten said, PON XX Papua 2021 can also be a momentum for Papuan MSME players to connect to many business accesses such as financing, raw materials, markets, to aggregator partners who ensure this initiative can be sustainable.

In addition, Teten also underlined the importance of being connected in the online ecosystem, so that Papuan MSMEs can transform digitally.

Currently, the number of MSMEs that have been present in the digital ecosystem has reached 15.3 million or as much as 23.9 percent. This figure has increased by 7.3 million during the pandemic from the target of 30 million MSMEs in 2024.

"Even the World Bank research shows that 80 percent of MSMEs that are connected to the digital ecosystem have better resilience in the midst of a pandemic," said Teten.

Meanwhile, the President Director of Smesco Indonesia, Leonard Theosabrata, appreciated the Papuan Regional Government for providing support in developing access to marketing SME products.

Especially in exhibitions at the Smesco Building and through a live shopping program for superior Papuan Brand Local MSME products.

"Currently SMESCO has collaborated with various SOEs and the community of business actors with various products with the vision of building a future MSME ecosystem based on the digital economy through Provincial Superior Products based from 34 Provinces in Indonesia that give the appearance of "Indonesian Centric", but are able to compete. as a business actor who enters the national industrial supply chain,” explained Leonard.

Smesco is targeting the digitization of 158,000 MSMEs by 2023 and within that time an Smesco MSME ecosystem will be formed that has superior digital economic strength.

According to Leonard, the MSMEs will be supported by 9 business service facilities for MSME players, namely the BRI KUR Center, Wastra Nusantara Center, BNI Xpora, Sky Eat Cloud Kitchen & Retort Machine, Fulfillmence Center, Smesco East Hub, Smesco Labo, SME Service Center, and Siren.id.

Leonard gave the example of Siren.id as an innovation platform from Smesco for MSMEs.

"A dropshipping and reseller platform that can be used for all Indonesian people to help market MSME products, especially for Papuan Local Brand SMEs," said Leonard.

“Meanwhile, members/resellers can benefit from the process of selling these MSME products. One thing that makes this platform special is that the postage price sets one price or flat for shipping purposes to and from all over Indonesia,” he continued.

Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Gatot S Dewa Broto said, PON XX is a multiplier effect to advance and provide a place for SMEs in Papua.

This is so that local Papuan products can increase their sales both domestically and abroad.

"The implementation of the XX Papua PON later, I believe will be a historic implementation and can have an impact in various sectors," said Gatot.

SOURCE: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/09/14/154324626/menteri-teten-pon-papua-jadi-momentum-tonjolkan-umkm-lokal-unggulan?page=all