Amway to help sell SME products

As part of its effort to help boost the development of local products, multilevel marketing and distribution firm PT Amway Indonesia has entered into collaboration with 16 small and medium enterprises to distribute their products.

The company, which has 300,000 distributors nationwide, will help market 212 SME products ranging from edible cooking oil and snacks to garments.

"We hope that the additional products will help increase our local (product) sales from the current 7 percent to 10 percent next year," said Amway Indonesia president director Koen Verheyen (photo above, second left) at the venture's launch on Monday.

During the ceremony, Minister of Trade Mari Elka Pangestu (photo above, second right) said the government would also increase access to capital loans for micro businesses.

According to 2003 figures, there were 42.3 million SMEs back then employing about 79.04 million people nationwide and contributing more than half of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP). -- JP