Leveling up MSMEs is expected to help them face the digital era, director general of information and public communication at the ministry, Usman Kansong, said at an online discussion on "The Fate of MSMEs amidst the Glitter of Social Commerce" on Saturday.
"The point is we are leveling up these MSMEs. From previously only (selling) offline, we are encouraging them to adopt the online system and combine it. That, not everyone can do it, so we are encouraging them by providing various programs like digital education," he informed.
Besides preparing the relevant regulations on digital trade to protect MSMEs, the ministry is also working on other programs, namely, honing the digital skills of MSME players to help them go online and forging collaborations with the industry.
Digital education is being carried out so that MSMEs can become proficient in utilizing digital connectivity.
Citing an example, Kansong said that one of the ministry's programs on digital education and literacy is Transformation 4.0 for MSMEs, which is targeting 30 million participants.
The ministry is expecting that after the program, MSME actors will become more competent and capable in using the features of digital platforms to sell products and expand their market reach.
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The ministry is also pursuing collaboration with the digital commerce industry like the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA) to increase the visibility of products made by MSMEs.
This collaboration can be seen on various digital platforms, for example, a special page "Proudly Made in Indonesia" that is dedicated to locally made products.
"There is a special page in e-commerce like that for products made by Indonesian MSMEs. It does exist because we are collaborating with e-commerce associations," Kansong stated.
He added that the government has continued to encourage the establishment of digital infrastructures so that internet connectivity can be distributed more evenly and become more accessible to the people, including MSME actors across Indonesia.
The infrastructure development that has been carried out so far has ranged from building 4G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) to inviting telecommunications providers to expand their services to several regions in Indonesia so that digital infrastructure is distributed evenly.
On regulations, the government is currently working on revising the Minister of Trade's Regulation Number 50 of 2020 on digital trade.
One of the topics discussed in the revision is the social commerce trend, which has recently become a subject of discussion because it is considered a threat to MSMEs, especially to those who only trade directly and do not adopt digital services.
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Translator: Yoanita Hastryka Djohan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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