Menkop UKM Hopes Souvenirs From SMEs To Penetrate The Swiss And European Markets

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop-UKM) Teten Masduki when inaugurating the Grand Opening shop by Serba Ajik, in Kuta Bali, Thursday (26/1). (PHOTO Dafi-VOI)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki hopes that Indonesian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) special souvenirs will penetrate the international market, especially Switzerland and Europe.

Teten Masduki, when inaugurating the Serba Ajik Outlet on Dewi Sri Street, Kuta District, Badung Regency, Bali, said that his party was paving the way for MSME products to penetrate the global market.

"We are paving the way for our MSME products to enter the global market. Our score is only 15 percent for MSMEs. We together with Kadin (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) in Switzerland have opened an Indonesian Trading House," said Teten.

Teten said the establishment of the Indonesia Trading House in Switzerland was mainly aimed at opening opportunities for Indonesian MSME products to enter foreign markets.

Therefore, Teten Masduki hopes that the Serba Ajik souvenir outlet that he inaugurated on this occasion will participate in bringing Indonesian MSMEs to compete in the global market.

"Incidentally, the cooperation between Switzerland and Indonesia has been signed. So, Indonesian products enter Switzerland without import duties. The European Union has not been completed. So, we can take advantage of the entry point for our products to Switzerland, and then we will enter Europe," Teten said.

Teten said that his party would also cooperate with logistics companies in Switzerland to become distributors that make it easier for Indonesian MSME products to enter and compete with other products.

With this cooperation, Teten hopes that Indonesia will receive relief in logistics costs.

Apart from penetrating the international market, Teten Masduki remains committed to supporting MSMEs with the good quality available in places in Indonesia that are tourist destinations.

"Not only in Bali, but in all tourist destinations in Indonesia. Because tourism is the advantage of our domestic economy," he said.

Minister Teten appreciated the commitment of MSMEs such as Krisna Souvenirs, which was started by a ​​Balinese man I Gusti Ngurah Anom or who is familiarly known as Ajik Krisna, who has built a fairly strong business foundation, involved many communities, and MSMEs who are suppliers of the network Krisna Souvenirs.

Krisna's steps for souvenirs to develop MSMEs in Bali are very effective in supporting Bali tourism.

Therefore, he hopes that the same MSMEs can expand their business so that they can create more new jobs for the recovery of the national economy and the progress of Indonesian MSMEs.

Meanwhile, Ajik Krisna as the owner of Krisna Souvenirs said that currently there are 365 MSMEs that have collaborated with the businesses he started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He targets that in 2023, there will be 500 MSMEs that will join Krisna Souvenirs, thereby adding to the variants of Balinese souvenirs.

Currently, there are 300 employees working in the biggest cake factory in Bali which covers 1 hectare and is capable of producing 25,000 milk pies per day. The production will be targeted to reach 35,000 in March 2023.