Liputan6.com, Jakarta The National Craft Council (Dekranas) has partnered with the digital payment platform OVO to support the adoption of digital payments for national SMEs.

This partnership was formalized through a virtual memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between Dekranas and OVO, represented by Dekranas Daily Chairman Tri Tito Karnavian and OVO President Director Karaniya Dharmasaputra.

In her speech, Tri emphasized that SMEs are a priority in national economic policy, especially during the pandemic. Data shows that 80% of SMEs experienced a sales decline of over 20%.

“Therefore, as a key stakeholder in the craft sector, Dekranas is driven to revitalize the national craft industry from upstream to downstream by enhancing artisans' competencies,” said Tri on Wednesday (December 16, 2020).

Under this MoU, both parties agreed to foster SME development through education, training, and mentoring on online payment methods using QRIS.

OVO will also facilitate and onboard SMEs selected and mentored by Dekranas to become OVO merchants, in line with OVO’s vision of promoting financial inclusion.

Additionally, OVO will support Dekranas by serving as one of the payment partners for the Ladara e-commerce platform, initiated by Dharma Pertiwi TNI and supervised by Dekranas.

On this occasion, Tri also appreciated OVO’s efforts to educate and onboard Dekranas-mentored SMEs, expanding QRIS usage and integrating them into the OVO, Tokopedia, and Grab ecosystems.

According to her, OVO’s digital ecosystem will help expand market reach for national craft products by enabling online transactions and cashless payment options.

“The partnership between Dekranas and OVO is expected to make a significant contribution to improving SME livelihoods and accelerating national economic growth,” Tri stated.

Meanwhile, Karaniya reaffirmed OVO’s commitment to expanding access for SMEs under Dekranas and strengthening the role of digital financial services in economic recovery and financial inclusion.

“We hope Dekranas-mentored artisans will soon join the over 500,000 SMEs already part of the QRIS digital payment ecosystem,” said Karaniya.

By doing so, he added, consumers and SMEs can continue to transact quickly, safely, easily, and conveniently while playing a vital role in national economic recovery.

Kemenhub Collaborates with Dekranas to Utilize Tamarin for Batik-Making

The Ministry of Transportation, through the Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP), has once again collaborated with the National Craft Council (Dekranas) to organize a batik-making workshop using tamarin (tamarind powder). (Dok Kemenhub)

The Ministry of Transportation, through the Dharma Wanita Persatuan, has partnered with Dekranas to conduct a batik-making training session using tamarin (tamarind powder) at the Widya Chandra complex, South Jakarta, on Saturday, October 24, 2020.

The workshop was attended by 30 participants with a special interest and talent in arts and crafts.

Endang Budi Karya, Advisor of Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP) at the Ministry of Transportation and Head of New Entrepreneurship at Dekranas, stated that the tamarin batik method is a highly innovative and creative new technique.

“Today, we at Dharma Wanita Persatuan Kemenhub, in collaboration with Dekranas, are conducting a batik-making workshop using a new method. Traditionally, batik is drawn using hot wax, but now we are using tamarin or tamarind powder as a new material. This method is unique because it allows us to apply multiple colors in a single batik motif,” she explained.

The process begins by grinding tamarind seeds into fine powder, which is then mixed with a small amount of vegetable oil (such as butter or coconut oil) to form a slightly thick paste. This paste is then used to draw patterns on prepared fabric.

Once the pattern dries, the coloring process begins. A key advantage of the tamarin method is the ability to apply multiple colors in a single motif. The coloring process is done using brushes of various sizes.

The hope is that the trained participants will pass on their knowledge and train other members of the DWP at the Ministry of Transportation. The workshop was also attended by Dekranas expert staff member Wignyo Rahadi, a renowned fashion designer.

“I hope that those who have gained this knowledge today will share it with other DWP members because learning batik-making is one way to preserve Indonesia's cultural heritage,” Endang Budi Karya concluded.

Source: Liputan6