"Vice President Ma'ruf Amin's presence means a lot to diaspora fellows, and it can be seen from the extraordinary enthusiasm of diaspora fellows," Pratomo stated in Singapore, Tuesday.
Pratomo remarked that Amin's visit was immensely special for the Indonesians in Singapore, as the last visit by a high-ranking Indonesian official to that country was in 2019 when President Joko Widodo went there.
Their enthusiasm was palpable, especially for Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises industry players in Singapore, he remarked. Several Indonesian citizens have businesses in Singapore, one of which is in the culinary sector.
"The directives given by the vice president had been certainly very much needed, particularly because in Singapore, it is not only big businessmen who live here, but there are also many Indonesian MSMEs," he elaborated.
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The ambassador noted that most of the Indonesian restaurants in Singapore are MSMEs that promote and bring products from Indonesia to be marketed in Singapore.
"Thank God, so far, they have received a good response from the market in Singapore, and of course, we must continue to keep this up," Pratomo remarked.
He expected that the vice president's suggestion to Indonesian diaspora groups in Singapore could motivate them to stick together stronger and contribute more into painting a better image of Indonesia.
"We hope that the direction from the vice president will keep us motivated. Once again, what we are facing next year will not be an easy year and only with a more innovative attitude, willing to collaborate, will become the strength of this nation. Hopefully, we continue to stay together strong and with the leadership of Mr. President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, we are increasingly bonded to face this challenge," Pratomo concluded.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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