The Daily Chairman of the National Crafts Council (Dekranas), Tri Tito Karnavian, hopes that all stakeholders can support the capacity enhancement of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This effort, said Tito, has been implemented across Indonesia, including by the Ministry of Investment, which has programs in Aceh Province and Solo City, Central Java.
Tri encourages all stakeholders to conduct similar programs more frequently in Solo. Moreover, Solo is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, recognized for its handicrafts and folk arts.
“We hope so, not only Dekranas conducting activities in Solo, but also all components. Outside the government, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association, and state-owned enterprises, hopefully, these activities will encourage other institutions to do the same,” she stated at the MSME Competency Improvement Forum with Women at Ndalem Wuryaningratan, Solo, on Tuesday (14/5/2024).
According to Tri, the MSME sector contributes 61 percent to Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The number of MSMEs had declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic but increased to 66 million MSMEs in 2023. “According to data from the UKM Center of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Indonesia, craft MSMEs are part of the six subsectors of the creative economy. Craft MSMEs contribute 16 percent to the creative economy,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Regional National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) of Solo City, Selvi Ananda, confirmed that Solo has been recognized as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Therefore, she encourages all stakeholders to support the enhancement of MSME capacity in Solo.
“Yes, we will see going forward, we want more forums like this to better educate MSMEs, increase their knowledge so they have more skills and better preparation for their businesses,” she explained.
The MSME Competency Improvement Forum with Women was organized by Dekranas in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment/Investment Coordinating Board, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the Government of Central Java Province, and the Government of Solo City.
The forum is part of the 44th anniversary celebration of Dekranas. A total of 300 women participated, running businesses in crafts, fashion, culinary, and other sectors. The speakers in this forum presented various topics, including MSME development for women, success stories of female MSME entrepreneurs, and business acceleration through licensing.
