Minister Maman: Understanding Quarantine Procedures Can Reduce Barriers for MSMEs
For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), understanding quarantine procedures and requirements can help reduce barriers to trade and improve product readiness for export markets.
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Co-operatives and SMEs Minister Maman Abdurrahman said that understanding quarantine procedures and requirements could boost competitiveness and reduce trade barriers for Indonesian MSME products, particularly when entering export markets.
“For MSMEs, understanding quarantine procedures and requirements can help reduce barriers in the trade process and improve product readiness for export markets,” he said at the Indonesia Quarantine Expo 2026 in Jakarta on Friday.
He said the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) was important not only for protecting biological resources, but also for supporting MSMEs by improving their understanding of trade and quarantine requirements.
Maman said he hoped Barantin would work with the Ministry of MSMEs to provide assistance, including by improving legal and management literacy, as well as understanding of the standards that must be met to enter global markets.
He said Indonesia had a range of promising products from the agriculture, plantation, fisheries and processing industries. This potential could be developed into higher-value products to meet domestic and international demand.
However, to make the most of these opportunities, MSMEs need to prepare their products to meet the requirements of their export destination countries.
Alongside business assistance, Maman stressed the importance of strengthening digital services to make it easier for MSMEs to obtain information and access the services they need.
The Ministry of MSMEs, he added, was continuing to strengthen its digital transformation through the SAPA UMKM system, an integrated service platform providing information, access to business development programmes and easier services for businesses.
In line with these efforts, the ministry is encouraging cooperation between SAPA UMKM and Barantin’s digital service system, the Barantin Electronic System for Transaction and Utility Service Technology (BEST TRUST).
Maman said integrating the two systems was expected to make it easier for MSMEs to obtain information about quarantine requirements.
He stressed that inter-agency collaboration was needed to expand market access, build business capacity, strengthen product competitiveness and make it easier for MSMEs to obtain financing support.
He also highlighted the role of medium-sized enterprises as aggregators that can consolidate MSME products, maintain consistent supply, expand distribution networks and connect micro and small businesses to broader supply chains.