Government Targets 10 Million New Entrepreneurs by 2029

Jakarta - Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurrahman stated that the government is targeting the emergence of 10 million new entrepreneurs by 2029 as an effort to increase the national entrepreneurship ratio and expand labour absorption. To support the achievement of this target, the Ministry of MSMEs launched the Leading Entrepreneur Exchange (Bursa Wirausaha Unggulan) as a step to strengthen the national entrepreneurship ecosystem. According to Maman in Jakarta on Wednesday, the programme is designed to make it easier for the younger generation, prospective entrepreneurs, MSME players, and business owners to access various integrated business development services, ranging from capacity building, legality, financing, to market expansion. He said the Leading Entrepreneur Exchange is part of the government’s effort to provide comprehensive entrepreneurship coaching and empowerment from upstream to downstream. “The goal is to produce resilient entrepreneurs. From the initial process, we assist them, equip them with competence, business mentality, and good business planning, until finally we open access to financing and marketing,” said Maman. Through this programme, participants receive mentoring ranging from training, business capacity strengthening, facilitation of legality and certification, financial management training, to access to financing and marketing. The financing access facilitated includes formal financing through banking and People’s Business Credit (KUR), as well as non-formal financing through financial technology companies and other partners. The Leading Entrepreneur Exchange activity was attended by around 1,500 students from various universities. On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar said the government will continue to encourage the birth of new entrepreneurs while helping MSMEs grow and upgrade so they can contribute more significantly to the national economy. “MSMEs must continue to grow and move up in class. Economic growth must be contributed by MSMEs as well as enjoyed by MSMEs. This is what is called a just economy,” said Muhaimin. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Fauzan affirmed the importance of the role of higher education institutions in producing a new generation of innovative entrepreneurs capable of addressing various social challenges in society. According to him, campuses do not only function as educational centres but also as facilitators for the birth of student-based entrepreneurs who can create jobs and provide solutions to various social problems, including unemployment. “Campuses are expected to become facilitators for the birth of student-based entrepreneurs while contributing to accelerating the emergence of entrepreneurs based on local potential and culture,” he said.