Minister Maman: Regional economic progress depends on MSME movement

Balikpapan (ANTARA) - The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman, has asserted that regional economic progress is heavily dependent on the movement of the MSME sector, as this sector serves as the backbone of the local economy, directly impacting lives from urban centres to remote areas.

“When MSMEs in a region flourish, the local economic wheels will rotate faster independently, without having to rely fully on the central government,” stated Minister Maman during the opening of the Micro Business Ease and Protection Festival in Balikpapan on Wednesday.

Minister Maman added that the fundamental requirement for regional economic advancement is for MSMEs to be able to move, grow, and progress through full support from local governments.

Therefore, he continued, this festival is expected to act as a driving force for micro-entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses, strengthen competitiveness, accelerate poverty alleviation, and create new employment opportunities.

The festival, themed “Connected MSMEs, Growing through Innovation,” is taking place over two days, from 17–18 June 2026.

This inaugural event is part of a series of Entrepreneurship and MSME Days specifically designed to support the People’s Welfare Programme (Prokesra), one of the priority programmes of President Prabowo Subianto.

Responding to this, the Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas’ud, expressed deep appreciation for the commitment shown by the Ministry of MSMEs.