Surabaya, E Java, (Antara) - A total of 2,640 small and medium-scale enterprises underwent training to enhance their competence and enable themselves to face the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) from a position of strength, an official has stated.
The small and medium-scale enterprises, known locally as UMKM, joined training in the fields of packaging, internet marketing and financial literacy, according to Bagus Soepomo, an official of the "Pahlawan Ekonomi" board, here on Friday.
"Currently, packaging of 30 products of the "Pahlawan Ekonomi" (Economic Heroes) members have been redesigned," he pointed out.
Soepomo further said that these products, part of the 101 superior business products, were being sold through the National Distribution Channel and are ready to compete in the ASEAN market.
According to him, the "Pahlawan Ekonomi" or PE board launched in 2010 focuses its attention on women's economic empowerment and community-based family.
In the meantime, Surabaya's mayor-elect Tri Rismaharini had earlier expressed the hope that PE board's enterprises should be more creative so that their products find better acceptability in the market.
The mayor further said that in June and July 2016, Surabaya will host the UN Habitat III which will be attended by 57 regional heads from different nations.
"We will market the Surabaya UMKM products at this international event," Rismaharini added.
Indonesia's Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs had last released a report on the sector in 2013, according to which SMEs had contributed 57.95 percent of Indonesia`s gross domestic product (GDP) and 16.44 percent of its foreign trade in 2011.
The SMEs contributed comprised 30 percent in the handicrafts sector, 29 percent in fashion products and accessories, 27 percent in furniture, 10 percent in the food and beverage sector and four percent in health and beauty products.
Under the ASEAN Economic Community, which kicked off on December 31, 2015, now there is a free trade area, trade tariffs among ASEAN countries stand removed while labor and capital markets are free. All of this will greatly affect the economic growth and development of each country.
The ASEAN member countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.(*)
UMKM Entrepreneurs Ready to Face ASEAN Economic Community
Jumat, 1 Januari 2016 22:30 WIB
Surabaya, E Java, (Antara) - A total of 2,640 small and medium-scale enterprises underwent training to enhance their competence and enable themselves to face the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) from a position of strength, an official has stated.
The small and medium-scale enterprises, known locally as UMKM, joined training in the fields of packaging, internet marketing and financial literacy, according to Bagus Soepomo, an official of the "Pahlawan Ekonomi" board, here on Friday.
