“The Ministry of MSMEs continues to push for an increase in the entrepreneurship rate. The progress of a developing or developed country is often measured by the number of entrepreneurs,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
He noted that Indonesia’s current entrepreneurship rate remains below 3.5 percent, significantly lower than that of developed countries, which generally exceed 8 percent.
According to Abdurrahman, one of the keys to narrowing this gap is promoting the growth of young entrepreneurs within university environments.
Data from the SMERU Research Institute indicates that 73 percent of Indonesian youth have a strong interest in becoming entrepreneurs.
He emphasized that this potential must be supported by the higher education ecosystem so it can grow into a driver of the nation’s future economic strength.
The minister stressed that universities should not only produce job seekers but also job creators.
He added that universities need to strengthen entrepreneurship education and cultivate creative, analytical, and problem-solving mindsets, rather than focusing solely on memorization.
Abdurrahman highlighted that universities must produce graduates with integrity, a progressive mindset, and the ability to adapt to various challenges. Such qualities, he said, would help shape adaptive and innovative young entrepreneurs capable of making real contributions to accelerating Indonesia’s economic growth.
He also expressed optimism that restructuring the education ecosystem would encourage the emergence of young entrepreneurs who can become agents of change and contribute significantly to local communities, MSMEs, and national development.
To support this goal, the government has prepared several strategic policies, including human resource development, business mentoring, legal assistance, access to financing, partnerships with large enterprises, product quality improvement, and digitalization.
“These policies are designed to build a healthy, inclusive, and sustainable business ecosystem for MSME players,” he said.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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