Minister Maman Ensures MSMEs Master Fundamentals Before Global Market Expansion

The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman, has emphasised that MSME entrepreneurs must strengthen their business fundamentals and master the domestic market before expanding into global markets through exports.

“We can support our friends in exporting; we support them 100 per cent. However, ensure that the quality of their products in the domestic market is already strong. We must not allow a situation where we export once, and then it does not continue,” said Maman during an Export Gathering event in Jakarta, as reported on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.

Maman stated that the domestic market serves as a space for MSME entrepreneurs to test product quality and consistency, increase production capacity, strengthen business governance, and understand consumer needs.

This experience, he continued, serves as vital capital for MSMEs when entering international markets, which possess higher levels of competition and more complex standards.

“There is no entrepreneur anywhere who does not start from their local market. We often think about exporting before we have even begun, but forget to strengthen the domestic market,” he said.

Maman asserted that strengthening the domestic market and expanding exports are not conflicting agendas. According to him, both must proceed hand in hand so that MSMEs possess business resilience domestically while simultaneously being able to increase competitiveness to capture global market opportunities.

Maman explained that the vastness of Indonesia’s domestic market is a strength that must be optimally utilised by national MSME entrepreneurs. A growing mastery of the domestic market is expected to provide space for MSMEs to grow and increase their business scale before expanding their product reach to various countries.

“The domestic market is our defensive fortress. We may go out to export, but we must not let our own fortress become empty and dominated by foreign products,” Maman remarked.

In addition to market mastery, Maman emphasised the importance of strengthening financial management as part of business fundamentals. He noted that access to financing and increased production capacity must be accompanied by the ability to manage finances with discipline to ensure healthy and sustainable business growth.

He added that the Ministry of MSMEs is also continuing to strengthen the role of Smesco as a marketing service institution for MSMEs, including mapping the readiness of MSME entrepreneurs and opening and expanding market access for Indonesian products.