The Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance reported a surplus in export transactions of their supported MSMEs from January to May 2023, totaling USD 23.4 million or equivalent to IDR 351 billion. This contribution came from 118 entrepreneurs who were facilitated through the Ease of Import for Export-Oriented Small and Medium Industries (KITE IKM) program initiated by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. The Director of Customs Facility at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise also stated that the funds allocated to MSMEs for importing supporting goods for export in the first four months of this year amounted to USD 8.046 million. On the other hand, the value of exports achieved was nearly four times higher, reaching USD 31.49 million. This amount is equivalent to the total export value of MSMEs supported by Customs and Excise in 2022, which amounted to USD 32.886 million.
Considering the value of exports and its impact on export/import performance, imports require expenditure, while exports generate income. However, according to data from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, the majority of MSMEs participating in the KITE IKM program are still concentrated in Java. Out of the total 118 MSMEs, 91 of them are from Java. Aside from the program's higher awareness in Java, it was speculated that MSME entrepreneurs in Java require more financial support to import supporting goods in order to create export products. In Java, however, there is more variety, and they require mechanisms involving both imports and exports. The Lampung Customs and Excise Office provided assistance and facilitated the export of 26 tons of seaweed (Gracillaria SP) produced by MSMEs in Lampung. The seaweed was shipped from Panjang Port, Lampung, to Haiphong Port, Vietnam, on June 15, 2023. The exported seaweed had an export value of USD 18,426 or approximately IDR 276 million.
