Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, has stressed the Indonesian government’s commitment to strengthening trade with Uganda, especially exports of vegetable oil, stainless steel, and glass.

“Stainless steel, vegetable oil, and glass are some commodities that we export to the country so far,” she said at the Uganda-Indonesia Business Forum in Jakarta on Thursday.

Indonesia’s trade balance with Uganda is currently in deficit, with total imports from the East African country reaching US$44.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. The imports comprised cocoa and tanned sheepskins.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s exports to Uganda during the same period were recorded at US$8.4 million.

“Of course, this is a challenge, but we see it as an opportunity. This is an opportunity for us to explore the export potential that we have,” the deputy minister said.

According to Putri, one of the efforts made by the Trade Ministry to boost exports has been encouraging micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to expand market access.

She expressed optimism that strengthening the involvement of MSMEs in increasing exports could directly advance the national economy.

She noted that MSMEs contribute 15.7 percent to total exports and have a crucial role in achieving the target of 9 percent export growth.

“What we must do now is encourage our MSMEs to go global. This is one of the main targets of the Ministry of Trade,” she added.

This year, the Indonesian government is targeting to increase exports by 7.1 percent to US$294.45 billion. Meanwhile, it is aiming to boost exports by 9.64 percent to US$405.69 billion by 2029.

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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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