Meeting Arsjad Rasjid, Minister Teten Discussed The Export Strategy For MSME Products To Job Problems

Coordinating Minister for SMEs Teten Masduki (left) and Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arsjad Rasjid (right). (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki held a meeting with the General Chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Arsjad Rasjid today.

Teten said the meeting discussed strategies to increase the export of domestic MSME products.

He admitted that he had received a lot of input from Arsjad, always the General Chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Earlier he conveyed how we made an effective strategy to increase exports, including exports (products) of MSMEs. Kadin has a business matching approach. I think this is right, especially to work on B2B," said Teten at a press conference at the Smesco Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 24.

He assessed that currently the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs is targeting the domestic potential market to obtain assistance from the government.

"So, we support the downstream first. Because we know that the problem of MSMEs, right, for exports is a problem of production capacity, which ends up related to logistics costs, continuity problems and quantity and quality," he said.

The next discussion, said Teten, was related to job opportunities.

According to him, job opportunities can be created through two things, namely, creating new jobs or utilizing existing workers to enter the world's laboratory market.

"This has potential for us to work together," said Teten.

To support this, he continued, there are several policies that must be in harmony in order to support exports. Including protection against domestic industries, especially MSMEs.

He was worried that there would be policies that would actually kill the domestic industry itself.

"The point is that the business actors are in Kadin. So, we receive valuable input and must also provide adjustments to some existing policies. We agreed to share because Kadin wanted to convey the white paper to the new government. This is the right time," he said.

On the same occasion, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arsjad Rasjid welcomed the meeting. He said, business matching is the main key to increasing exports of MSME products.

"We discussed how, for example, MSMEs can be exported. Business matching is the main key so that we prepare MSME friends who want to make transactions outside or export," explained Arsjad.

"Later we can make a continuation so that more Indonesian MSMEs will export. Here, how can Kadin and the government cooperate," he continued.

In addition, Arsjad said, his party together with Teten also discussed the issue of illegal imports that still exist today.

He considered that if the onslaught of illegal imports continued, it was feared that it would have an impact on the competitiveness of MSME products.

"We also discussed illegal imports because after all we have to protect MSMEs. We don't just become a market, but also ensure that illegal imports do not occur that can disrupt our industry and MSMEs. Because later this will have an impact on our MSMEs so we cannot compete," he added.