Mari Elka Urges Regulatory Simplification to Strengthen MSMEs
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Special Envoy to the President for International and Multilateral Trade, Mari Elka Pangestu, is urging the simplification of regulations and the reduction of bureaucratic barriers to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Speaking at The 2026 Asia Grassroots Forum by Amartha in Jakarta on Thursday, Mari Elka stated that ease of doing business is a crucial factor in increasing the resilience and growth of MSMEs, particularly amidst current global economic challenges. According to her, the costs arising from fulfilling various administrative and regulatory requirements can represent a significantly larger burden for micro-enterprises compared to large corporations.
Consequently, she noted the need for certainty for micro and small business owners to operate through simple processes with minimal bureaucratic obstacles. She suggested that the digitalisation of government services, such as Govtech, could serve as a solution to cut administrative costs and accelerate MSME access to various public services.
Mari Elka, who served as Minister of Trade from 2004 to 2011, cited the implementation of digital identities for individuals and business owners, as seen in India, as a potential model. Such a system is believed to simplify business registration processes, the distribution of government aid, and the monitoring of programme effectiveness.
She added that digitalisation would also enable the government to deliver various forms of support to the community more precisely. In addition to regulatory simplification, Mari Elka emphasised the importance of strengthening the economic resilience of grassroots groups, including women entrepreneurs. She argued that investing in women and micro-entrepreneurs not only improves community welfare but also supports sustainable economic growth.
“Investing in grassroots communities, investing in women, and strengthening their resilience is fundamentally a good economic strategy. It will produce the economic growth that is required,” she said.
Mari Elka also encouraged expanding access to financial protection products, such as affordable health and life insurance, to help the community face various risks, ranging from illness and natural disasters to economic shocks.