Jokowi: Economic Digitalization Gives Birth To Decacorn And Unicorn

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) must continue to be supported so that they can immediately advance to class.

Not only that, but the role of MSMEs to encourage economic digitization must also be supported.

"We continue to encourage the digitalization of the economy which has given birth to two decacorns and nine unicorns to help empower MSMEs," he said at the MPR Annual Session, Joint Session of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI)-Regional Representative Council (DPD RI), Tuesday, August 16.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta revealed that 19 million MSMEs have entered the digital ecosystem and it is targeted that 30 million MSMEs will enter the digital ecosystem by 2024.

Therefore, Jokowi continued, various low-cost funding assistance was also continued. This includes displaying MSME products on the government's E-catalog which is expected to absorb MSME products.

"At the same time, the obligations of the State Budget (APBN), Regional Budget (APBD), and State-owned Enterprises (BUMN) to buy domestic products will also continue to be disciplined," he said.

Incentives and Subsidies Keep Flowing

Previously reported, the Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani stated that the existence of MSMEs was a simple community idea, which was then realized into productive activities and contributed significantly to the national economy.

Therefore, the government is committed to continuing to be present in MSME business activities in order to encourage a higher level of contribution.

"So MSMEs do have tenacity and continue not to give up. Therefore, the government is trying to support more MSMEs so that they can reach more goals," he said in a written statement quoted by the editorial team on Sunday, August 14.

According to the Minister of Finance, the government is now trying to help business actors to be able to penetrate foreign markets.

"This will give even greater enthusiasm to all business people and also the ranks at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance (DJBC) so that we can improve all synergies to help MSMEs," she said.