Deputy President's Secretariat Urges Cross-Sector Collaboration to Strengthen SMEs and Women's Economy

The Deputy President’s Secretariat has emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration in strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and empowering women’s economy through the Silaturahmi and Collaboration Dialogue forum in Jakarta. Special Staff to the Vice President, Tina Talisa, stated that the forum is a follow-up to the directives of the President and Vice President to reinforce the people’s economic foundation through synergies among various parties. “This forum brings together ministries, institutions, the business world, and civil society organisations to promote the strengthening of MSMEs and women’s economy,” Tina said in her statement on Thursday. The forum, held on the occasion of International Women’s Day, was attended by various stakeholders, including Bappenas, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM, BPJPH, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), as well as business actors and civil society organisations. However, she highlighted the absence of clear indicators in defining MSME class advancement, which poses a challenge in measuring business transformation. “We do not yet have a clear definition regarding ‘class advancement’, whether in terms of assets, turnover, number of workers, or other aspects,” she said. In the discussion, Deputy for Community Empowerment at Bappenas, Maliki, revealed that the proportion of female entrepreneurs in Indonesia is still around 37 percent. From a data perspective, Deputy for Social Statistics at BPS, Nashrul Wajdi, noted ongoing challenges in ensuring optimal economic contributions from women. The General Chair of the Indonesian Women’s Entrepreneurs Association (IWAPI), Nita Yudi, affirmed that women play a crucial role in the business world and are capable of facing various challenges. Additionally, the Chair of the Women’s MPP Education Division of ICMI, Euis Amalia, highlighted the importance of halal certification to enhance the competitiveness of MSME products.