Ganjar Pranowo Asks Students To Accompany MSMEs To Level Up

Ganjar Pranowo/Photo: Antara

SOLO - Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said that universities need to take part in assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to upgrade their grades.

"In this context, we carry out a process from the small first, we assign schools (universities) through the practice of assisting SMEs and making SMEs move up to grades," he said at a talk show entitled The Role of SMEs in Building Economic Independence through Digital Transformation at the Ki Hajar Dewantara Building, UNS Solo, Wednesday 15 June.

In this case, he said, UNS has the capital to be able to provide assistance to MSME actors starting from production to being able to advance to class.

"The Chancellor can provide an opportunity (to students) to freely study there. So what accompanies the business ecosystem is the assistance of SMEs through KKN does not stop, it must be continuous," he said, as quoted by Antara.

He assessed that MSMEs should be given more attention considering that this sector has a major contribution to the national economy. His party noted that the number of MSMEs in the creative economy sector in Indonesia to date is 64.19 million MSMEs. Of this total, its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) was 61.7 percent or IDR 85 trillion last year.

"But that number for me is still too small," he said.

He said this sector was able to absorb 97 percent of the total workforce in Indonesia and was able to collect 60.4 percent of the total investment.

He also appreciated the creativity of regional heads, both regents and mayors, who continued to assist MSMEs in advancing to class.

"I saw yesterday's video of Mas Gibran (Mayor of Surakarta) in Paris, I got goosebumps. That way things are known, known, bought. (Through exhibitions) they (consumers) know where to buy," he said.

On the same occasion, UNS Chancellor Jamal Wiwoho said the acceleration of strengthening the digital ecosystem from cities to villages is the key to efforts to accelerate recovery and increase economic competitiveness.

"The role of MSMEs is very large in Indonesia's economic recovery. Currently there are around 64.2 million MSMEs in Indonesia which are able to absorb 97 percent of the workforce," he said.