MSME Ministry: Kumitra Programme Connects Micro Enterprises with Strategic Partners

“So from the start we bring them together, we design it so that these micro and small businesses can secure sustainable strategic partners.”

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Acting Deputy for Micro Enterprises at the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemen UMKM) Riza Damanik stated that the Kumitra programme (Ease for Micro Enterprises to Partner) is a concrete step by the government to bring MSME actors closer to strategic partners.

“Kumitra is an agenda at the Ministry of MSMEs as a follow-up to the instructions of the Minister and the Deputy Minister, so that our micro enterprises get closer to their strategic partners,” said Riza Damanik, after the official launch of Kumitra in Yogyakarta on Friday evening (17/7).

In addition to strategic partners, he said, the Kumitra programme also brings MSME actors closer to their buyers, so that micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia no longer have to search on their own for who will buy their products.

“So from the start we bring them together, we design it so that these micro and small businesses can secure sustainable strategic partners,” he said.

He said that from the series of meetings with MSME strategic partners, the government obtained commitments from partners to contract and cooperate with micro enterprises worth some Rp7 billion.

“I heard last week the figure was roughly Rp7 billion, so there are already cooperation commitments for micro enterprises. Hopefully this can grow and continue in the days ahead,” he said.

To maximise the Kumitra programme, he said, the Ministry of MSMEs is also providing MSME actors and partners with access to digital payment services through QRIS, including marketing digitalisation through e-commerce platforms.

“There is joint training with a number of e-commerce platforms, within the framework of ensuring that our MSMEs, our micro enterprises, do not merely onboard onto e-commerce platforms, but also gain maximum benefits so that they can become even more productive,” he said.

Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) KGPAA Paku Alam X said the Kumitra event in Yogyakarta brought together around one thousand micro-entrepreneurs, fostered by integrated business service centres, and traders of Teras Malioporo I with various strategic partners.

“Business meetings, strengthening digital access, business partnership commitments, and the waiving of product listing fees on the retail networks of members of the Indonesian Retail Business Association are concrete steps to bring micro enterprises towards wider markets,” he said.