Minister Maman: Market Access Remains the Primary Challenge for MSME Development

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman, stated that market access is one of the primary challenges in developing MSMEs, as products produced by entrepreneurs are not always able to be absorbed by the domestic market.

“The most important thing today is the market, because our main problem for MSMEs is that while certification and licensing are in progress and financing is being assisted, our MSMEs often find themselves unable to sell their goods,” he said during the Leading Entrepreneurship Exchange and the 2026 East Java Mass KUR (People’s Business Credit) signing ceremony at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Surabaya, on Wednesday.

According to Maman, the issues faced by MSME entrepreneurs vary, but generally can be grouped into aspects of licensing, certification, capital, and market access.

However, he noted that financial support does not automatically guarantee business sustainability if the products produced cannot be sold.

“Once financing is provided, if they cannot sell their goods, they will still go bankrupt because the products are not in demand,” he remarked.

Maman assessed that one of the factors affecting the absorption of MSME products in the domestic market is the high level of competition from imported products, including goods that enter the country illegally.

He emphasised that this condition requires attention to ensure that the stimulus and incentives provided by the government to domestic entrepreneurs can truly drive production activities.

“The keyword is limiting illegal products entering from abroad that ultimately devastate our domestic market,” he said.

Maman asserted that the government does not intend to close the market to foreign products, but rather to strengthen supervision and limit the entry of illegal goods so that competition in the domestic market can be healthier.

“We are not closing it entirely, but we are limiting it so that the sterilisation of our domestic market can improve and our local goods can sell in the market,” he added.

He stated that the government has also encouraged coordination with several relevant ministries and agencies to handle the influx of imported products that have the potential to suppress domestic industries, including textile and garment products.

Furthermore, he added, the protection of the domestic market must go hand in hand with improving product quality so that MSMEs do not rely solely on the domestic market.