Gernas BBI Will Help MSMEs To Maintain The Threat Of Global Receition

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Proudly Made in Indonesia National Movement (Gernas BBI) is expected to be able to create demand for MSME products so that MSME players can survive the threat of recession next year.

"The key is to increase demand, if demand exists, MSME products will be maintained to maintain production," said Deputy for Tourism and Creative Economy Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Marves) Odo RM Manuhutu in a press conference, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, November 23.

On the other hand, he said, MSMEs also need to maintain and improve their product standards so that they still have competitiveness.

The government, he continued, also continues to encourage access to financing for MSME actors to keep them able to develop their businesses in challenging times.

"Himbara has allocated through DigiKu for Rp. 16 trillion, especially since there are KUR (People's Business Credit) and others," he said. Odo emphasized that the government's side with MSMEs has never been relaxed. In fact, compared to the 1998 monetary crisis, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has poured funds to support the national economic recovery, including for MSMEs.

"Partyness already exists, the important thing is now how people can appreciate domestic products," he said.

On the same occasion, Expert Staff for Finance and MSME Development of the Ministry of SOEs, Loto S Ginting, encouraged MSME players to be enthusiastic about finding ways to anticipate the threat of a global recession to come.

However, Loto assessed that MSMEs are a group of entrepreneurs who are agile in dealing with problems, based on experience from the monetary crisis to the crisis when the pandemic hit.

"With their condition, they are very good at adjusting and seeing the potential that lies ahead, for example seeing the market with the existing conditions," he said.

Loto also agrees that Gernas BBI will encourage demand for domestic products from both direct consumers, as well as requests from K/L, local governments and BUMN in line with government spending targets and BUMN for domestic products.

"So the potential expenditure for government agencies, local governments and SOEs is very large and the opportunity must be utilized," he said. No less important, Loto also reminded MSME players to take advantage of the momentum to improve networks with many parties who will be able to support business development in the future.

Chairman of the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA) Bima Laga explained that up to now almost 21 million MSME units have begun to enter the online ecosystem (onboarding) through Gernas BBI. The government targets to be able to encourage 30 million MSMEs onboarding until 2024.

"We are now MSMEs that have onboarded approximately 21 million, or 20 million. We still have 9 million PR, but we can't do it alone, we have to collaborate with each other so that the target can be achieved," he said.

Director of Networks, Operations and Sales of PT Pegadaian Eka Pebriansyah said that his party was not only focused on financing but also on assisting MSMEs so that it was hoped that they could advance to class.

"In times of crisis, MSMEs are one of the groups that have extraordinary durability. Coupled with government support, I am sure that in the future the potential development of MSMEs will increase," said Eka.