NUSA DUA, investor.id – The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (KemenkopUKM), in collaboration with the National Handicraft Council (Dekranas) Funding Division and supported by various partners—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), WhatsApp Indonesia, and Indonesian SMEs—organized a synergy event titled “Cerita Kriya” in Bali on Thursday (September 8, 2022).

The selection of Bali as the event's venue was a form of government support to help the island recover faster and emerge stronger. As is well known, Bali, which relies on tourism, was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, Bali's tourism industry has long contributed significantly to the national economy and foreign exchange earnings.

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki stated that the synergy between KemenkopUKM and the Dekranas Funding Division in Bali aims to empower and make Indonesia's artisan MSMEs more independent in line with the strengthening digital economy. This program, he explained, serves as a gateway for cross-sector collaboration, providing opportunities for local artisan MSMEs to accelerate their potential and transition to digital platforms.

“When discussing financial literacy and the digital economy, technology utilization is key in MSME and cooperative business processes. Indonesian artisan MSMEs will become more empowered and independent if they go digital. Therefore, more digital innovators are needed,” Teten said at the event.

The digital economy is currently a focal point in the development of Indonesia's artisan MSME business processes and cooperatives. Digitalization, driven by innovators, has proven to empower millions of MSMEs, even amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, digital onboarding is crucial for Indonesian artisan MSMEs. It offers a solution to time-consuming banking processes. “Onboarding simplifies online marketing, making it accessible right from your fingertips,” he noted.

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. Most importantly, she emphasized the digital transformation of business owners.

“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 KemenkopUKM, Dekranas trained over 500 government facilitators/trainers, targeting more than 900,000 MSMEs. “These MSMEs are then trained to reach export markets, just like those who have graduated from this program,” she stated.

The collaboration between Dekranas and KemenkopUKM has been ongoing since 2019. However, in 2020, both parties agreed to redesign the initiative to be more sustainable, with a focus on strengthening the business ecosystem. “From 2020 to 2021, we focused on strengthening Indonesia's Wastra (traditional textiles) under the 'Cerita Wastra' program, aligned with Dekranas' main objectives,” she added.

Chairperson of the PTI Foundation, Myra Winarko, noted that the opportunities provided by KemenkopUKM 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 KemenkopUKM 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.

PTI has long been supporting various disability communities across Indonesia. This includes a mental retardation community in Bandung, West Java, producing salted eggs; a makeup artist training program for the deaf and mute; as well as painting and cooking training programs.

Many graduates of PTI’s training programs have become independent, with some securing professional employment. As a business incubator, PTI also collaborates with major companies and banks to continue digital training and market expansion. “Going forward, we even plan to develop our own platform, alongside providing digital training for people with disabilities so they can enter the digital world independently,” Myra concluded.

Source: investor.id