The government has made the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector the main priority of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) Program, Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
During a virtual focus group discussion (FGD), she informed that the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the economy, including the MSME sector.
A survey of MSMEs conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has shown that 94 percent of businesses have experienced a sales decline.
In fact, a sales decline of more than 75 percent has been experienced by more than 40 percent of MSMEs from various business classes.
This has affected the workforce in the MSME sector, specifically women workers, who constitute a relatively large part of the MSME sector.
“Observing the impact experienced by the MSME sector and the significance of the sector to the Indonesian economy, the government has made the MSME sector one of the main priorities of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program,” she explained.
The ministry has continued to offer a development program in the form of an entrepreneurship assistance program to MSMEs in various regions to expand work opportunities, she informed.
“Many of these aid packages are given to women in order to empower them and help revive the economy of families and communities in their respective regions,” Fauziyah said.
The ministry will also continue to expand training to improve workers’ skills and competence during the pandemic, she added.
“Many training branches that we own are branches that support the competence of workers in the MSME sector,” the minister said.
The minister further said she expects that more women will enter the job market and contribute to the economy as MSMEs grow and advance in this digital era.
“To this end, I really appreciate FG activity along with East Java Kartini MSMEs as a concrete activity to support the welfare of MSMEs as the spearhead of the Indonesian economy,” she remarked.
Source from Antara News
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