Exports and digitization were among the government's steps taken to restore the tourism sector and creative economy, Tuti Prahastuti, Director of Promotion and Image Development of the Ministry of Trade, said in a statement here on Sunday.
"In general, the trade sector in the country has decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic," she said.
However, there are several products that can compete in the export markets, including gold and jewelry, which are closely related to the creative economy.
"In general, jewelry (exports) have indeed increased. It might be thanks to their various designs that have become attraction and strength of the jewelry exports," she noted.
The Trade Ministry has issued several policies to maintain Indonesia's trade balance during the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and demand side.
On the supply side, the Ministry of Trade has simplified the process of managing exports through the National Logistics Ecosystem, simplifying and accelerating services for issuing certificates of origin (SKA) for exported goods through the application of affixed signatures and stamps.
As on the demand side, the ministry has intensified virtual trade promotions as an effort to penetrate the international markets and encourage the implementation of virtual business matching through representatives of the Ministry of Trade abroad.
Meanwhile, Sri Yuniarti, Director of Small and Medium Industries (IKM) for Food, Wood Products and Furniture at the Ministry of Industry, said that based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country has some four million IKM which have employed more than 10 million workers.
Based on these data, the ministry has carried out programs aimed at fostering new entrepreneurs and strengthening the competitiveness of IKM.
These programs are manifested in the "Proud of Made in Indonesia Products" movement which aims to revive the country's creative economy sector, which has experienced a decline owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Through this program, we inform the public that our industry is capable of producing quality products," she said.
Meanwhile, I Nyoman Adhiarna, Acting Director of the Digital Economy of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, said that the ministry is ready to support economic recovery in the tourism sector and the creative economy by carrying out digital transformation.
The ministry has prepared regulations, infrastructure, and human resources to make the Internet accessible to the Indonesian people in various regions.
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Translator: Hanni Sofia, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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