As Minister Of SOEs Again, Erick Thohir Will Transform And Clean Up Red Plate Companies

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Erick Thohir has officially continued his leadership at the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) after being inaugurated by President Prabowo Subianto as minister. Erick will carry out several focuses.

He said, over the next five years, he would maximize the programs that had been carried out previously, such as transformation and cleaning up SOEs.

In addition, Erick also wants SOEs to improve the quality of state companies through the same increase in character. This quality improvement is also in line with the plan to cut the number of state-owned companies.

"Maybe if we are from BUMN, we will see one of them is how our role in cooperation with the private sector must be improved, in line with the transformation of our blueprint, the number of SOEs is only 30, going there," he said when met at the Ministry of SOEs building, Jakarta, Monday, October 21.

In addition, Erick said, SOEs must also increase cooperation with the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector. According to him, that way, it is hoped that the market will be more open and there will be balance.

"What does that mean, with an open market, the balance occurs. Between the private sector, small medium entertainment, MSMEs, and also investment from abroad and within the country. This is what we are trying to balance," he said.

Regarding MSMEs, said Erick, SOEs will encourage partiality in the sector. Erick said, this also departs from the potential of MSMEs for the country's very large economy.

"Because it becomes the foundation we see, especially if we look at our comparison with many other large countries whose economies are good, our entrepreneurship is only 3.4 percent. This means that we are left behind with other countries with 5-8 percent," he said.

Erick said the role of SOEs would also continue to encourage the creation of entrepreneurs to advance to class. As well as encouraging cooperation with the private sector.

"Others, we continue to encourage ecosystems, food self-sufficiency, even though we support the Minister of Agriculture, because we have fertilizers, we have to be on time, on target, let alone digitalization," he said.