"I have also projected that should the development of the Benoa Port by Pelindo III be completed, then I will allocate 100 percent of the commercial arena at Benoa Port to accommodate the products and works of local entrepreneurs to promote and sell their products," Thohir noted in a written statement received here on Monday.
Thohir remarked that in accordance with the main tasks of the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry for micro, small, and medium enterprises, or new entrepreneurs, the focus of support that could be provided encompassed funding, market access, and logistics.
Several state-owned enterprises can support the advancement of the creative economy industry as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises. In addition to providing assistance, they offer guidance for the sustenance of businesses.
"We are fixing infrastructure, such as the construction of toll roads, since the logistics costs in Indonesia are high. It could reach 26 percent, while in other Southeast Asian countries, the figure is below 15 percent. If logistics are expensive, then the competitive value is expensive. Regarding funding, the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry has an ultra-micro holding comprising the BRI, Pegadaian, and Civil Investments that can facilitate loans of Rp1 million (US$70) to Rp4 million (around US$280) at low interest rates," according to Thohir.
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The State-Owned Enterprises Ministry has a MSME Digital Market platform for market access. The platform has become a marketplace that can be accessed by state-owned enterprises to meet their needs through micro, small, and medium enterprises. The platform currently accommodates almost 10 thousand MSMEs.
"With this access to the MSME Digital Market, all parties work together, (such as) between state-owned enterprises, the private sector, MSMEs, and other business sectors, so that all those involved can derive benefits. Along with the Digital Market, the MSMEs are directly integrated with the OSS (One Stop Service) of the Investment Ministry, and it is easy to obtain certification from the Industry Ministry," Thohir noted.
One of those who gained benefits from the MSME Digital Market are Weaving Astiti from Geigei Village, Klungkung, which received assistance from Telkom for digital marketing. The endek and songket fabric business, managed by Nyoman Sudasa, 73, has benefited from the MSME Digital Market, which in the past month, contributed Rp13 million (around US$912) worth of online transactions.
President Director of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia III (Persero) Boy Robyanto noted that the development of Benoa Harbor, Bali, based on the concept of the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub (BMTH), would be completed by mid-2023. Robyanto noted that of the 16 work packages planned, currently they were on the fifth package. Several tasks have reached 100-percent completion.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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