DPR Commission VII Urges ANTARA to Prioritise MSME Issues

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Saleh Partaonan Daulay, chair of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), has urged the National News Agency (LKBN) ANTARA to prioritise issues related to empowering micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

He said ANTARA was expected to do more than simply report general news, and should also seek to support and raise the economic wellbeing of the public.

“MSMEs are, you could say, the last driver of our economy. They are the backbone of our people’s economy,” Saleh said during a working visit to the ANTARA Heritage Centre in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said ANTARA could begin by recognising MSMEs at regency, city and provincial levels, and publicising their potential.

“The backbone and driver of the economy must not be neglected or denied special attention by the state,” he said.

He also asked ANTARA’s management to safeguard the agency’s assets and other resources, saying the news agency was a state asset that Indonesia greatly needed.

Saleh called on the government to pay attention to ANTARA’s budget so it could improve the quality of its work and programmes. This, he said, would enable the agency to extend its programmes to more communities across Indonesia.

“We hope ANTARA’s presence can bring significant change to the social, political and economic lives of our people,” he said.

During the recess-period working visit, Saleh and other Commission VII leaders and members also reviewed LKBN ANTARA’s operations and infrastructure. Those taking part included Commission VII deputy chairs Evita Nursanty and Rahayu Saraswati, and commission member Alifudin.