Assigned By Jokowi To Bring 30 Million MSMEs Into The Digital Ecosystem By 2024, Coordinating Minister For SMEs Is Teten Optimistic To Achieve

MenkopUKM Teten Masduki. (Photo: Doc. Antara/Kemenkop UKM)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (MenkopUKM) Teten Masduki is optimistic that the target of 30 million MSMEs to enter the digital ecosystem in 2024 will be achieved. This belief is based on the massive digital trading activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Teten said that in the midst of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital transformation is a necessity to survive, rise, grow, and win the competition.

"With the KUMKM digital approach, we are optimistic that the target given by President Jokowi can be achieved, so that we can optimize the potential of Indonesia's digital economy," he said at the National Coordination Meeting for Digital Transformation and Complete Data Collection of Cooperatives and SMEs at the State Palace, Monday, March 28.

Teten said that in 2020 the number of MSMEs that entered the digital ecosystem in Indonesia was only 8 million. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven significant growth, which is 115 percent in the span of two years.

"Today, at least 17.59 million MSMEs are present in the digital marketplace or e-commerce platform. As many as 27 percent of the total MSME population, 58 percent of the target of 30 million MSMEs onboard the digital ecosystem," he detailed.

Furthermore, Teten emphasized that digital transformation is not just presenting KUMKM on a digital platform.

"KUMKM's digital transformation is a holistic endeavor, not only in the marketing aspect. It also builds an ecosystem that includes business processes from upstream to downstream," he said.

Previously reported, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) again touched on the target of developing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives in the country. Jokowi wants all parties from the center to the regions to support the achievement of the predetermined targets.

First, Jokowi asked that the target of 20 million MSME players on boarding enter the digital ecosystem or marketplace must be achieved. Then increase to 24 million in 2023 and 30 million in 2024 or at the end of his term as president.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta admitted that he believed that the target could be achieved if all parties from the center to the regions had the same desire and worked hard.

"If all hard work has the same desire to achieve the targets we have set, I believe God willing, it can be done," he said at the virtual opening of the National Coordination Meeting for Digital Transformation and Complete Data Collection of Corporations and SMEs, Monday, March 28.

Second, Jokowi also reminded about the target of modern digital-based cooperatives that must be increased from 250 cooperatives this year, increasing to 400 in 2023 and 500 in 2024.

Third, Jokowi asked for the target of 1 million MSMEs on boarding to enter the e-catalog system of the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP) to be completed this year.

Jokowi said that currently only 17.5 million MSMEs have gone digital. However, Jokowi is not satisfied with this achievement and wants to increase more MSME players who enter the digital ecosystem.

"We must not only be spectators in the midst of massive digital trading activities. We must flood the marketplace, MSMEs, cooperatives must flood the marketplace with domestic products, our MSME products," he said.