"We will help East Kalimantan's MSMEs through the Balikpapan Export Center. We want our MSMEs to be able to export as well," he stated during the inauguration of the Balikpapan Export Center at the Balikpapan MSME Gallery here on Friday.
Santoso stated that the Ministry of Trade is currently promoting a program called "MSMEs Can Export," launched in January 2025.
One way the ministry is supporting this is through Export Centers, which currently operate in Surabaya, Makassar, Balikpapan, and Batam.
Through these Centers, the ministry consistently provides support, starting from the initial preparation process to help create quality products with attractive packaging, through to business matching and facilitating transactions.
The ministry will also assist in identifying overseas markets through trade representatives in several countries. They will also help connect MSMEs with potential buyers abroad.
The minister stated that from January to July, the ministry had organized around 700-800 business matching sessions to facilitate MSMEs and buyers to explore potential business collaborations.
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"They had never exported before. They had never met. However, (through this business matching), the transaction value has already reached US$90 million," the minister remarked.
He stated that buyers are placing their trust in these MSMEs because of the ongoing support provided by the ministry.
"Since they do not know each other yet, buyers may not necessarily trust (MSME products). However, we continue to encourage MSMEs to remain confident, as we will continue to support them," the minister noted.
Beyond Balikpapan, the ministry will also assist MSMEs from 10 districts and cities in East Kalimantan by deploying assistants to encourage exports.
They will take the initiative and continue to provide coaching and mentoring to ensure the products of these MSMEs are competitive and can be exported.
"Once again, we thank East Kalimantan for providing the location for the Balikpapan Export Center. We will continue to provide guidance to ensure East Kalimantan products are competitive and accepted by consumers worldwide," Trade Minister Budi Santoso remarked.
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Translator: Arumanto, Katriana
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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