Strengthen MSME Competitiveness, Pupuk Kaltim Prepares Products To Explore Export Opportunities

Photo: Doc. Pupuk Kaltim

JAKARTA - Encourage the development of local MSMEs to be more competitive, PT Pupuk East Kalimantan (Pupuk Kaltim) has begun to prepare curation of a number of fostered businesses in various sectors, in an effort to explore export potential from the products produced.

This activity collaborated with the Pandega LKP from Central Java, to strengthen capacity related to fulfilling the curation requirements for fostered MSME products. Lasting for four days with the participation of 12 assisted MSMEs in Bontang City, on May 2-5, 2024.

VP TJSL Pupuk Kaltim Sugeng Suedi, conveyed this activity as an effort to strengthen the capacity of fostered MSMEs to advance to class and be more competitive, which is one of the company's focuses on providing guidance to realize community independence. Mainly through the creation of business opportunities that have the potential to encourage economic prosperity.

This step is deliberately targeting local business actors, so that they grow and develop with competitiveness that is not inferior to foreign products. Moreover, the capacity of fostered partners in business development is able to show a significant increase through accountable management, so that it can be encouraged to become superior export-oriented regional products.

"In order to explore this potential, it is important for us to first understand a number of strategic steps that need to be taken, so that market expansion at the export level can be reached optimally," said Sugeng, in his statement, quoted on Friday, May 10.

From this activity, fostered partners can deepen understanding regarding factors that affect the selling price of export products, as well as the importance of making calculations in determining competitive and profitable selling prices. Likewise with curation, Pupuk Kaltim wants to ensure that the quality and feasibility standards for consumers must be ensured properly by business actors, so that the status of fostered MSME products can be qualified according to the grade to advance to class.

Especially in the near future Pupuk Kaltim will conduct Business Matching of fostered MSME products to Malaysia and Thailand, so that fostered business actors can prepare all the needs so that the products offered can attract potential consumers as expected.

"That's why it is important for business actors to increase understanding, so that the fulfillment of curation requirements and determination of export prices can be adjusted," continued Sugeng.

In addition to strengthening the potential of the MSME market, Pupuk Kaltim also conducts reviews and evaluations related to recommendations and follow-up plans for the formation of the "Bina Sukses Bontang" Cooperative, which was deliberately initiated to accommodate the efforts of fostered partners in order to expand the marketing reach. It is hoped that this cooperative will further increase the competitiveness of local MSME products, and be able to contribute positively to the economic progress of the business actors under construction in it.

Therefore, all partners fostered by Pupuk Kaltim are expected to continue to maintain the quality and assurance of product quality consistently, so that consumer confidence will increase and be able to encourage sustainable strengthening business competitiveness.

"With cooperatives, business activities can also grow with a wider market reach. Where this cooperative is maximized to accommodate fostered business actors so that they can grow more according to the business sector they run," said Sugeng.

Representing the Municipal Government of Bontang, the Head of Business & Financing Cooperatives and Micro Businesses of the Bontang UKMP Diskop, Agus Arianto, positively welcomed the continuity of Pupuk Kaltim's development for local business actors by expanding market potential through export exploration.

According to him, this is one way for local business actors to grow to achieve independence, where the expansion of market potential with optimal assistance needs to be encouraged to seize existing opportunities.

"One of them is curation, as an encouragement so that business actors are able to maximize the products sold to provide assurance and quality certainty. This is because the products produced must also be in accordance with the standards so that they can attract consumer interest, especially for the export market," said Agus.

He also hopes that the assisted business actors facilitated by Pupuk Kaltim can seize this opportunity to develop the business sector that is being carried out, so that the community's independence and the development of the potential for MSME products in the export realm can be well targeted.

The Municipal Government of Bontang, he said, always encourages business actors to continue to maximize their potential, so that in the future independence, which is followed by the welfare of the people in various fields, can be realized evenly through the role of MSMEs in it.

"We are optimistic that the development of business actors who are increasingly competitive can be realized in Bontang City, along with the growth of opportunities with sustainable coaching as realized by Pupuk Kaltim for his fostered businesses," concluded Agus.