Surabaya Mayor Wants Her Residents to Become Entrepreneurs

Reporting by Abdul Hakim Surabaya, E Java (Antara) - Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini wants more and more residents of the city, with a population of around three million, to be entrepreneurs rather than civil servants, citing the improving economic conditions. "I dream of turning Surabaya into a city of entrepreneurs," she said here on Sunday. The rising number of entrepreneurs will lay a firm foundation for the city's economy which relies on the trade and service sectors, she said. "The city residents must compete with one another to become entrepreneurs. Next year the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will be implemented. The residents of Surabaya city must be prepared for an onslaught of foreign products. Therefore, they must develop their entrepreneurial skills to face it," she said. The money supply in Surabaya reaches Rp20 trillion annually, well above the city budget which reaches Rp7 trillion, she said. "The Surabaya market is huge. When they are not able to penetrate the export market, the Surabaya market is still promising. Surabaya which has a population of three million is a huge market. It would be better if they can control the local market," she said. To increase their share of the local market, the city government continues to provide small and medium entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial skills, she said. To date the city has 1,500 small business undertakings which are ready to control the local market, she said. (*)