Vice Presidential Secretariat Pushes for Standardised Criteria for UMKM and Women's Economy Upgrading

The Vice Presidential Secretariat (Setwapres) is pushing for the establishment of standardised indicators for “upgrading” among micro, small, and medium enterprise (UMKM) actors, especially those managed by women. This was a key point in the Silaturahmi and Collaborative Dialogue Forum held at the Setwapres Auditorium in Jakarta on Tuesday (11/3/2026). Vice Presidential Special Staff, Tina Talisa, stated that while narratives encouraging UMKM to upgrade have been widely promoted, there has yet to be a uniform and nationally measurable definition of the criteria. “We do not yet have criteria for what constitutes an upgrade. Is it from micro to small? Due to an increase in employees? Rising assets or turnover? Or because of improved financial literacy? This is a challenge in driving measurable business transformation,” Tina said, quoted from her official social media account on Wednesday (18/3/2026). The forum, held in the spirit of International Women’s Day, brought together ministries, agencies, the business world, and community organisations. Tina emphasised that this forum is a direct directive from the President and Vice President to strengthen the foundation of the people’s economy through more coordinated synergies. Attendees included representatives from Bappenas, BPS, the Ministry of Investment/BKPM, OJK, BPJPH, as well as private partners such as GoTo, Grab, and Sampoerna. Women’s organisations like Fatayat NU, Aisyiyah, and IWAPI also contributed their aspirations. In the dialogue, Bappenas Deputy for Community Empowerment, Maliki, revealed data showing that the proportion of female entrepreneurs in Indonesia is only around 37%. Meanwhile, BPS Deputy for Social Statistics, Nashrul Wajdi, reminded of the significant homework to ensure that women’s economic contributions are truly optimal and not merely due to economic compulsion. From a legality perspective, the Ministry of Investment/BKPM stressed the importance of owning a Business Identification Number (NIB) for micro business actors. “We invite all stakeholders to synergise so that UMKM actors are willing to obtain an NIB as an initial step towards legality,” said the Deputy for Investment Climate Development at the Ministry of Investment, Riyatno. IWAPI General Chair, Nita Yudi, and representative from Women’s ICMI, Euis Amalia, also highlighted the importance of a healthy ecosystem support and commitment to halal certification for all UMKM products to compete in the global market. Through this dialogue, the Vice Presidential Secretariat commits to accommodating all aspirations to formulate policies that have a more tangible impact on strengthening the people’s economy and empowering women in Indonesia.