Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir deems it necessary to optimize the cooperation between SOEs and Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in order to strike an economic balance.

"The cooperation between BUMDes and SOEs should be optimized to build an economic balance and equity," Thohir stated at an online seminar here on Wednesday.

The minister said this aims to ensure that the lower class rises while still building the economy of the middle and upper classes.

"Of course, this is so that the poor do not get poorer, while the rich are getting richer due to the current COVID-19 pandemic," the minister remarked.

Thohir expressed gratitude that amid this pandemic condition, the spirit of synergy and collaboration could be maintained, as it was essential to build ecosystems and resilience.

The minister noted that the benefits and results of collaborative synergies aim to help the community and ensure they can still support their families and have opportunities in future.

"This is our role, SOEs and the BUMDes, to be the backbone of the Indonesian economy, especially the BUMDes that have an important role since most of Indonesia's population lives in villages," Thohir noted.

The minister noted that the thousands of BUMDes must be at the forefront to advance and prosper Indonesian villages, especially for the community and micro, small, and medium enterprise players.

Thohir had earlier noted that SOEs programs must get closer to the community, so that the benefits can be felt directly.

The minister found that people at the lowest level, especially the underprivileged, felt the changes and improvements in their standard of living after collaborating with state-owned enterprises.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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