Receiving Aid For Cake Making Tools To Sugar Cane Grinders, MSMEs In Banda Aceh Are Asked Not To Do This

Illustration - Deputy Mayor of Banda Aceh Zainal Arifin (second left) when handing over business equipment assistance to MSME actors (ANTARA)

BANDA ACEH - Head of the Banda Aceh City SME Cooperatives and Trade Office (Diskopukmdag) M Nurdin appealed to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) not to trade in business equipment assistance provided by the government.

"We urge MSME actors who receive business equipment assistance not to be traded or transferred to other people," said M Nurdin in Banda Aceh, Antara, Thursday, August 12.

Business equipment assistance from the government, starting from sugarcane milling machines, souvenir making tools, and cake making tools must be utilized for the benefit of developing the business so that the economy can survive.

"We hope that MSME business actors who have received equipment assistance can maintain their business activities, and never stop even in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

It also supervises and monitors the activities of MSME actors who receive business equipment to ensure that these tools are used according to the wishes of the government.

M Nurdin said that the program for providing business equipment for MSME actors became a routine activity during the pandemic. This was done because the government is currently unable to provide guidance and training (Bimtek) due to COVID-19.

"We continue to carry out empowerment activities such as distributing aid for MSME business activity equipment. That's all we can do at this time," he said.

So far, continued M Nurdin, the Banda Aceh Government since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, namely in 2020 and until today, has handed over more or less business equipment to 200 MSME actors.

"The total number of MSMEs in Banda Aceh that has been provided with business equipment is around 200 MSMEs, and most of them are for home businesses such as cake-making equipment," said M Nurdin.

M Nurdin emphasized that at this time his party could only provide assistance in the form of equipment, while capital assistance was not provided because the economic recovery program so far has not been able to run.