Retail Sales Turnover At SMEXPO 2023 Up 293 Percent

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

PT Pertamina (Persero) said the Pertamina Small Medium Enterprise Expo (SMEXPO) 2023 exhibition recorded a retail transaction value of IDR 1.3 billion, an increase of 293 percent compared to the same event in 2022 of IDR 450 million.

Meanwhile, the event has been held from October 31 to November 5, 2023 in Jakarta.

The event also recorded a commitment to business transactions from domestic and foreign buyers of Rp. 13 billion or grew from the previous year of Rp. 10 billion.

Pertamina Business Supporting Director Erry Widiastono said the Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 event aims to encourage fostered MSMEs to step into the international arena. Through SMEXPO, MSMEs increase their confidence, in line with the ability and expertise of MSMEs in reading market trends as well as innovating that are oriented towards market needs.

"Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 is not just an exhibition of MSME products, but also a forum for coaching prepared by Pertamina for MSME players who aim to improve the ability and expertise of MSMEs in reading market trends," said Erry at the closing of Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 as stated in Jakarta, Monday.

Erry said the sales turnover during Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 activity reached the target, which amounted to IDR 1.3 billion from retail buyers and IDR 13 billion from the potential transactions of business consumers from within and outside the country who will order in large quantities.

Pertamina said that buyers from the business sector realized the business matching activity, which was provided by Pertamina as a series of Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 events.

The business findings have succeeded in bringing together potential buyers, including hotel, restaurant, cafe and corporate entrepreneurs, including Kadin and Indonesian businessmen from various regions as well as Malaysian businessmen, China, Korea to the United States.

Pertamina believes that the rise of foreign consumers reflects Pertamina's hopes in developing fostered MSMEs to the global arena, in line with the theme Pertamina SMEXPO 2023, namely "Stepping From Local to Global".

On the sidelines of the closing of SMEXPO 2023 in Jakarta, the Indonesian World Record Museum (MURI) also gave an award for Pertamina's commitment to providing training for people with disabilities who work through MSMEs.

The award was given by Triyono, MURI's representative to Pertamina Business Supporting Director Erry Widiastono.

"We from MURI provide a charter to Pertamina for the commitment that has provided inclusion and disability training. This not only increases soft skills, but is able to provide markets or opportunities for MSMEs with disabilities to go to the global market," he said.

Meanwhile, Pertamina's Vice President for Corporate Communication Fadjar Djoko Santoso revealed that from 2022 to 2023 Pertamina had provided empowerment to more than 500 people with disabilities. Some of them have been able to be independent and absorbed by each industry, along with the development of the MSME sector.

Meanwhile, this year, the Pertamina Special Disabilities Community or Friends were involved in SMEXPO 2023 through six fostered MSMEs, namely Kresna Patra, Safina Quilt, Merajut Asa Kita, Rumah Jahit Lestari, Mutiara Handycraft, and Batik Sasambo.

"This MSME development is Pertamina's effort to encourage community independence and economic growth, including for the disabled community to be more confident, efficient, and independent." said Fadjar.