Menkop Teten Asks The Community To Innovate Superior Products

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (MenKopUKM) Teten Masduki. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (MenKopUKM) Teten Masduki asked business actors, especially regional MSMEs, to innovate their regional superior products, so that they can compete not only in local markets but also in the global market.

According to him, innovation of superior regional products is important.

"Accelerated economic growth, including in Gorontalo, can be achieved through increasing the added value of agricultural, forestry and fishery sector products," said Teten at the Gernas Proudly Made in Indonesia (BBI) and Proud to Travel in Indonesia (GBBWI) Gorontalo Province, quoted on Saturday, September 16.

For example, continued Teten, in the fisheries sector one of the potentials is seaweed, so the added value of seaweed potential is very large to be developed through R&D (Research and Development) or research and development.

"The results of R&D seaweed can be used for substitution of wheat flour, replacement for fibered materials for clothing, cosmetics, plastic substitutes, and others," said Minister Teten.

Meanwhile, Deputy for Small and Medium Enterprises of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (KemenKopUKM) Hanung Harimba Rachman added, through the synergy of Gernas BBI Gorontalo 2023, it can be a momentum to encourage national branding of superior local products that encourage new creative industries and the digital ecosystem, as well as national economic growth.

KemenKopUKM's involvement in Gernas BBI and BBWI for the period June-September 2023, namely as Co-Campaign Manager and Governor of Gorontalo as Movement Manager.

The event raised the theme of Gorontalo the Heart of Celebes.

In this activity, a series of Gorontalo Province annual events were also held, namely the Hulontalo Art and Craft Festival in 2023.

The event was opened virtually by MenKopUKM Teten together with Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) Juda Agung, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno, and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Not only that, there are a series of other events initiated by the Gorontalo Provincial Government and the Gorontalo Province BI Representative Office, including the signing of business matching financing and SME transactions, fashion shows, and a review of the GBBI/GBWI exhibition.

It was recorded that during the Gernas BBI/BBWI campaign period in Gorontalo Province on June 16-17 September 2023, there were business matching and exhibition transactions of IDR 50 billion, as well as procurement of government spending of IDR 57 billion.

Then, tourist visits, both domestic and foreign, total more than 600,000 tourists, more than 1087 leading MSMEs participating, 30 series of activities, 6 regencies/cities involved, more than 40 event locations, and more than 50 stakeholders.