The COVID-19 Pandemic Stimulates The Development Of MSMEs In South Sulawesi

Zar Ramadhan at the South Sulawesi Cooperatives and MSMEs Office, Makassar/Photo: Antara

MAKASSAR - South Sulawesi Cooperatives and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Office recorded a significant increase in MSME players from year to year since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. 1,262,952 in 2020, and at the end of December 2021, the number of MSMEs will increase again by 302,182 so that the total MSMEs in South Sulawesi will be 1,565,134 in 2021. Their working relationship survives by opening a business," explained the Head of the South Sulawesi Cooperative and MSME Service, Malik Faisal in Makassar, Saturday, April 16. followed by services 19 percent, non-agricultural 11 percent and other categories 4 percent. MSMEs have a number of problems that are faced such as product competitiveness which is still minimal and does not absorb the market, marketing access is still limited and product legality is still low, especially in macro businesses. for MSME actors such as PIRT, halal and brands. As well as education and training for MSME actors. Malik admitted that not a few businesses had to go bankrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were around 1,200 businesses. However, not a few MSMEs have also emerged, including the emergence of new MSMEs from the micro-enterprise sector.

"This is because opening a business is used as a solution to the impact of layoffs (Termination of Work Rights) that have occurred since the pandemic," Malik said as quoted by Antara. It only appeared in Ramadan this year. "At the Ramadhan Bazaar that we held, out of 140 SMEs who applied, the average was millennials. While what we received were only 80 SMEs, 80 percent of them are also startups," said Malik. At this time, the South Sulawesi MSME Service facilitates and directs MSME actors to get opportunities to market products with different business models, namely through digital and no longer conventional. Regarding the benefits of MSMEs in the momentum of the month of Ramadan, Malik has not dared to assume because he considers the current condition to be unstable. and still in the recovery stage." If you measure it before COVID-19, it's definitely not normal, it hasn't returned to the way it was before COVID-19. Kh intestines talk micro, Ramadan is an opportunity, so if we talk about profits, we are too far away," he said.