Empowering MSMEs in Bali

DENPASAR, NusaBali

The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (KemenkopUKM) revealed that Bali was chosen as the venue for the MSME handicraft empowerment program for people with disabilities because the province has many potential entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Additionally, Bali is considered an ideal place to market MSME handicraft products due to the presence of tourists from various countries.

“Not only that, but Bali was also chosen as a form of support to help the local economy recover, which was previously hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated an official KemenkopUKM release from Jakarta, as reported by Antara on Wednesday.

As previously announced, Kemenkop, in collaboration with the National Handicraft Council (Dekranas) and the Indonesian Resilient Women Foundation (PTI), supports the expansion of the digital ecosystem as an empowerment program for MSMEs with disabilities. The event is set to take place on September 8, 2022, under the theme “Cerita Kriya.”

Kemenkop initiated this collaboration to encourage the digital ecosystem for MSMEs. Previously, the government set a target of integrating 30 million MSMEs into the digital ecosystem by 2024.

In an official statement, Supomo, President Director of the Revolving Fund Management Institution for Cooperatives and MSMEs (LPDB-KUMKM), stated that his organization is ready to provide support, including collaborative programs for disabled MSME entrepreneurs. He emphasized the importance of supporting disabled entrepreneurs to help them grow.

“We are ready to collaborate and provide financing support through cooperative legal entities according to existing requirements,” he said.

PTI Chairperson Myra Winarko expressed hope that the program would create high-quality cooperatives and MSMEs, opening up job opportunities for Indonesia’s 31 million people with disabilities.

So far, PTI has provided additional soft skills training, technical guidance, socialization, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and consultation forums to enhance the capacity of disabled MSME entrepreneurs. As an incubator, PTI also aims to build business networks for MSME entrepreneurs with disabilities.

To support the digital marketing and development of products from disabled MSME entrepreneurs, PTI plans to partner with major companies to create a platform that offers various training programs, allowing people with disabilities to enter the digital world independently.

People with disabilities are also expected to progress sustainably in line with the "No One Left Behind” development goal.

“Some graduates of PTI training programs have already achieved independence, while others have successfully entered the job market as professionals,” said Myra. *

Source: nusabali