Strong Commitment to the Small People’s Economy, President Prabowo Continues to Encourage MSMEs to Move Up a Class
By: Mayang Dwi Andaru)*
President Prabowo Subianto affirmed his commitment to promote Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a strong and independent national economic force. The national leader born in 1951 assessed that MSMEs play an important role in the economic recovery of the common people and improving the welfare of society at large.
The concrete steps taken by President Prabowo are aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs and opening up opportunities for them to move up to a stronger economic sector.
Political observer and Executive Director of Indonesia Political Review, Ujang Komarudin, appreciates President Prabowo’s support for the common people through pro-MSME policies.
Ujang assessed that President Prabowo’s steps were not merely an economic strategy, but an effort to free the economy from the grip of the oligarchy that has so far influenced the distribution of resources in Indonesia.
According to him, the Indonesian economy has been dominated by elite groups and a handful of politicians for too long, so that the needs of the common people are often neglected. Therefore, Ujang sees President Prabowo’s efforts as a form of courage to turn things around and ensure that Indonesia’s wealth is more in favor of the welfare of the wider community. This step reflects the grand vision of the nation’s leader who is also a retired high-ranking Indonesian military officer, to fight for a truly independent economy.
Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman, emphasized that under the direction of President Prabowo, the MSME sector is expected to be able to move up a class by increasing competitiveness and collaboration between the small, medium, and large business sectors.
President Prabowo has ordered his ministries to form a more integrated supply chain, so that MSMEs can become part of a sustainable ecosystem. The government is now actively analyzing the obstacles that hinder the growth of MSMEs, including funding issues which are a crucial factor.
Maman explained that President Prabowo is also committed to providing broader and more affordable funding support for MSMEs through a low-interest credit policy, which is expected to open up more inclusive access to capital.
In addition, the ministry is now closing ranks and conducting structural consolidation after the separation from the Ministry of Cooperatives. The goal is to ensure that the ministry can focus on developing MSMEs and accelerate policy transitions to support the increase in the scale of small businesses throughout Indonesia. In carrying out his duties, Maman prioritizes cross-sector collaboration so that MSME development can be realized more optimally.
Meanwhile, member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Mukaromah, sees the synergy between the Ministry of SMEs and various other stakeholders as an important step in encouraging SMEs to move up a class.
The separation of the Ministry of MSMEs from the Ministry of Cooperatives reflects the government’s special attention to this sector and shows that MSMEs are now receiving a more intensive development focus. Siti stated that this effort will facilitate coordination and strengthen the business climate for MSME actors.
Siti also explained that data shows that the contribution of MSMEs to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaches more than 60 percent and absorbs up to 97 percent of the domestic workforce.
With the number of MSMEs reaching around 66 million business units, MSMEs are the main pillar of the national economy. He also noted that this great potential must be accompanied by efforts to increase access to capital, business legality, and digital innovation and marketing.
The success of MSMEs in facing these challenges is believed to bring the sector up a class and have a significant impact on the national economy.
President Prabowo pays special attention to the development of digital marketing for MSMEs, as an effort to expand the market share of local products to a wider arena, including the international market.
This approach is believed to be able to help MSMEs reach consumers more efficiently, especially in the increasingly competitive digital era. In addition, support from various policies and regulations that favor MSMEs is expected to further strengthen the competitiveness of local products at the domestic and global levels.
The government program reflects President Prabowo’s great commitment to creating an inclusive economic system and providing opportunities for the common people to contribute to national development.
Amid the uncertain global economic situation, the government has shown real efforts in maintaining national economic resilience, one of which is through empowering MSMEs. This step is not only aimed at growing the economy of the little people, but also to strengthen the foundation of the national economy in facing the dynamics of the global economy.
With the support of appropriate regulations and policies, as well as synergy between the government and various stakeholders, President Prabowo Subianto is confident that MSMEs are able to move up a class and become a formidable economic force.
By strengthening the MSME sector, the eighth President of the Republic of Indonesia demonstrated his commitment to creating economic equality that favors the common people, realizing economic independence, and ensuring that prosperity can be felt evenly throughout the country.
)* Contributor to the Main Sadawira Institution
