Minister Of MSMEs Appreciates Garut Prison For Successfully Exporting Canopies To Europe

Minister of MSMEs Maman Abdurahman appreciated the success of the Garut IIA Prison in exporting the first canopy product to Spain. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of MSMEs)

JAKARTA - Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurahman appreciated the success of Garut's IIA Prison in exporting the first coir product or canopy for cultivators to the European market, to be precise, Spain.

"This is an example that deserves to be imitated and needs to be pushed forward so that the market is wider," said Minister Maman while leading the export release of coir fire at IIA Garut Prison, West Java, Thursday, September 25.

Untuk informasi, Lapas IIA Garut sukses meneksport satu mobil jangkat berisi lembar coir kerja ke Spanyol. Produk tersebut telah dipeksor dua kali sebulan dengan total keuntungan mencapai Rp800 juta.

Coir products are made from processed coconut sabut waste by Correctional Inmates (WBP). They also produce other processed products such as pergola, diagonal, triangle, roll Binder, and plant pots. These products have been marketed to France, Korea, and Spain.

Maman stated that this achievement made Lapas IIA Garut one of the centers of the coconut sabut ecosystem. Meanwhile, the products produced become an icon of downstream coconut in corrections.

"Inmates receive supplies from farmers around Garut. Then, the products are processed in prisons. They choose materials, sewing, and packing," said Maman.

Maman added that the processing of coconut sabut waste does not only benefit the prison but is also a source of income for the inmates involved in the production process.

WBPs will get wages from the production of coconut sabut crafts. They also received additional remissions for their good behavior.

Maman emphasized that the government is ready to expand market access for coir product made by the Garut IIA Prison abroad. The Ministry of MSMEs in this case will immediately coordinate with the Ministry of Trade so that export market access for coconut sabut processing is getting bigger.

"This is one of the prisons that is really pro-MSMEs. I hope this can be a motivation for us. Brothers and sisters in this prison need to be seen as evidence of inmates who have positive future expectations," he said.

Maman berharap publik memandang warga binaan bukan sebagai kelompok orang yang pernah berbuat kesalahan di masa lalu.

Namun, mereka bisa memberikan manfaat bagi masyarakat sekitar.

“Mereka bukan penjahat, melainkan orang yang pernah tersesat. Belum terlambat untuk bertobat,” tandas Maman.

Maman hopes that the public will view the inmates as not a group of people who have made mistakes in the past.

However, they can provide benefits to the surrounding community.

"They are not criminals, but people who have lost their way. It's not too late to repent," said Maman.