Ojol Indonesia Praised By Queen Maxima Of The Netherlands For Helping SMEs Grow

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA – Queen Maxima from the Netherlands in particular expressed her appreciation to the Indonesian government for supporting the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by cooperating with online motorcycle taxi services (ojol).

The compliment was conveyed by Queen Maxima when she met President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the G20 Summit in Italy this weekend.

"Queen Maxima also appreciates Indonesia's inclusive economic program with the presence of online motorcycle taxi services," said the government's official press release released on Sunday, October 31.

It was stated that the Queen of the Netherlands was impressed with MSMEs and the role of women in the national economy.

Meanwhile, at this meeting, President Jokowi emphasized that empowering MSMEs and women is a central policy in accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia.

In his explanation, the Head of State gave several examples of the government's side in empowering MSMEs and women, such as the Micro Waqf Bank inclusive program, Mekar Program, Ultra Micro Financing. Then, the People's Business Credit Program (KUR), and other programs related to the digitization of MSMEs.

"This government program involves 65 million MSMEs that contribute to 61 percent of the national economy, of which 64 percent of MSME actors are women," President Jokowi said on the occasion.

Citing a study published by the University of Indonesia in 2020, it was reported that one of the big ojol players in the country, Gojek, played a role in supporting Rp104.6 trillion for the national economy. This figure has increased from the previous year which was recorded at 'only' amounting to Rp55 trillion.

The research also explained that MSME partners could immediately recover within 3 months of the pandemic thanks to being connected to Gojek services.