The Long Journey of Nusantara's MSMEs

Amidst the rapid construction of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), there lies a story no less important for the public to know. This is not a tale of grand infrastructure, but rather a story about people, about hope, and how the local community is transforming from mere spectators of development into the main drivers of the future economy. The IKN Authority has emphasised a commitment from the outset: IKN development must make local residents the top priority. No progress is meaningful if the surrounding community does not feel tangible benefits. Therefore, every development step is designed to ensure local residents have equal opportunities to grow, develop, and become part of the progress being built. This noble commitment does not stop at mere calls to action; it is realised through a structured and sustainable collaborative series. The clear objective is to boost the capacity and competitiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM), long known as the backbone of the Indonesian economy. One concrete step recently implemented is the 2026 SIAPIK Academy and the 2026 UMKM Financing Business Matching, involving various sectors. This complementary collaboration was initiated by the Joint Working Secretariat of the BI IKN Office Complex, supported by the Bank Indonesia Representative Office in Balikpapan, and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) for the East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan Region. The programme is aimed at UMKM operators working in the core area of IKN and in Penajam Paser Utara Regency (PPU) to strengthen financial literacy, promote financial inclusion, and simultaneously expand their access to capital from formal banking and financial services. The core of this programme is the introduction to and training in the use of the Financial Information Recording Application System (SIAPIK), specially designed to help business operators record and manage their finances neatly, accurately, and structurally. Participants are also equipped with a thorough understanding of simple yet effective business financial governance, how to separate personal and business finances, and broader insights into the financial world. The organisers also facilitated a session eagerly awaited by all participants: Business Matching. Through this forum, UMKM operators were brought together face-to-face with representatives from various leading financial service institutions and banks. At this session, they could present their business profiles, explain their capital needs, and open up cooperation opportunities tailored to the characteristics and scale of their enterprises. This is a golden opportunity that has often been difficult for small entrepreneurs to access, allowing them to communicate directly with financial institutions without intermediaries.