Nusa Dua, Beritasatu.com– The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) collaborated with the National Handicraft Council (Dekranas) to enhance digital financial literacy for artisans and MSMEs with disabilities through an event titled “Cerita Kriya” in Bali on Thursday (September 8, 2022). The event was supported by various collaborators, including the Revolving Fund Management Institution for Cooperatives and MSMEs (LPDB-KUMKM), the SME Marketing Services Agency (Smesco Indonesia), the Indonesian Resilient Women Foundation (PTI), and WhatsApp Indonesia.

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, stated that the synergy between Kemenkop UKM and the Dekranas Funding Division aims to empower and make Indonesian artisan MSMEs more independent in line with the strengthening digital economy.

“This program serves as a gateway for cross-sector collaboration, providing opportunities for MSMEs to accelerate their potential and transition to digital platforms,” he said in an official statement.

Teten noted that leveraging the digital economy is currently a key focus in the development of MSME and cooperative business processes in Indonesia. Digitalization driven by innovators has proven to empower millions of MSMEs, even amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Digital onboarding is essential for Indonesian artisan MSMEs because it provides a solution to time-consuming banking processes. Onboarding makes online marketing more accessible as it can be done right from the palm of one's hand,” he explained.

Chairperson of Dekranas, Wury Ma’ruf Amin, stated that with this year’s program theme, “Cerita Kriya,” the focus is on strengthening the ecosystem of the handicraft sub-sector from upstream to downstream. This includes production, financing, marketing, and institutional aspects such as cooperatives. “We are also working with disabled artisans who have made significant contributions to the handicraft sector, helping them grow and reach their markets through the 'Cerita Kriya' programs,” she explained.

Wury added that in 2022, with support from Kemenkop UKM, Dekranas trained over 500 government facilitators/trainers, targeting 900,000 MSMEs.

Chairperson of the PTI Foundation, Myra Winarko, noted that the opportunities provided by Kemenkop UKM and Dekranas have opened doors for Indonesia’s 31 million people with disabilities.

The PTI Foundation serves as a business incubator for people with disabilities. This is why Kemenkop UKM and Dekranas are partnering with PTI to continue sustainable efforts supporting digital economy development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “God willing, we will respond to the Minister’s challenge to build a digital ecosystem for people with disabilities, from upstream to downstream,” Myra said.

Source: BeritaSatu.com