Deputy Trade Minister urges female SMEs to target global markets through trade agreements

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Trade Minister (Wamendag) Dyah Roro Esti has invited micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) actors to penetrate global markets by utilising trade agreements between Indonesia and strategic countries. “Some of the things we are doing at the Ministry of Trade are to secure those international markets through various trade agreements. This can actually be utilised by our business actors, of course,” said Wamendag Roro in Jakarta on Wednesday. Some examples of these trade agreements include the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) and the Indonesia-Tunisia Preferential Trade Agreement (IT-PTA). Then there is the Indonesia-Peru Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IP-CEPA) and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In addition to expanding market access for local products to the global stage, the Deputy Trade Minister said the government is also securing the domestic market, especially amid the current challenging geopolitical conditions. “The directive from President Prabowo (Subianto) is that Indonesia must survive, Indonesia must remain capable, and national economic growth must continue and increase over time,” she said. Furthermore, Roro stated that women play a very important role in Indonesia’s economic wheel. She underlined that 64.5 percent of the drivers of MSMEs in the country are women. Therefore, the Deputy Trade Minister also encourages female MSME actors to become more competitive and elevate their businesses through the utilisation of digital trade platforms and various government support programmes. “Therefore, there is a great need for assistance, especially for Indonesian society and friends here who I believe are already using modes or gadgets for product marketing. This knowledge must be enhanced,” said Roro.