Coordinating Minister for Human Development Wants M Bloc to Serve as Model for Strengthening SMEs and Creative Economy

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar is pushing for the replication of creative space development models like M Bloc Space in various regions. This step is seen as capable of expanding business access for SME actors and the creative economy (ekraf). Muhaimin stated that M Bloc Space has become an example of a public space that can drive SME growth while revitalising the creative economy sector. “M Bloc is a very strategic place and has contributed very well to the growth and development of our SMEs, as well as the continuously developing creative economy activities,” said Muhaimin after the Limited Ministerial Meeting (RTM) at M Bloc Space, Jakarta, last Monday (4/5). The man familiarly known as Cak Imin assessed that the success of M Bloc is inseparable from cross-sector collaboration. According to him, synergy between state-owned enterprises as asset owners, creative managers, and local government support is key to optimising public spaces based on economic empowerment. In that meeting, the government also discussed strengthening policies for community economic empowerment, including the optimisation of People’s Business Credit (KUR) to support SMEs and the creative economy sector. Cak Imin emphasised that SMEs and the creative economy have a strategic role in creating jobs and expanding the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Therefore, access to financing and business mentoring is deemed necessary to be continuously strengthened. “Its contribution is real, that KUR which runs well will open new job opportunities, develop business actors that we target, insya Allah, ten million people in the next five years getting good jobs,” said Muhaimin Iskandar. The ministerial-level meeting was attended by the Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) Maman Abdurrahman and the Minister for Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya.