Minister of Trade states that the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can improve skills, productivity, and the quality of their products. With support, it is hope that SMEs can grow not only in the domestic market but also in the export market. According to the Minister, Ministry of Trade also provides opportunities for selected businesses to participate in various international trade exhibitions held abroad. The Ministry of Trade implements various activities in the national export development program, including trade missions, business explorations, export product development through certification and design assistance, provision of export information services through platforms, and collaboration on export development with various international institutions. The Minister also explains that the new export market is Africa, also South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Minister said the development of four pillars to support the competitiveness of MSMEs are the existence of MSMEs, marketplaces, modern retail, and banking.
Furthermore, The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs also supports SMEs through two Public Service Agencies (BLU), namely the Cooperative and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Revolving Fund Management Agency (LPDB-KUMKM) and Smesco, which are always ready to assist cooperatives and SMEs in Indonesia to develop and scale up their businesses. Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs explains that starting from 2020, LPDB-KUMKM focuses on strengthening cooperative financing, facilitating access to services, and operating as a venture-like business. As of December 2022, the outstanding revolving fund from LPDB-KUMKM reached IDR 4.1 trillion. LPDB-KUMKM's contribution accounts for 28% of the total IDR 14.3 trillion credit disbursed to cooperatives. Meanwhile, Smesco Indonesia plays a role in providing solutions to SMEs by acting as a consolidator for micro and ultra-micro business players in overcoming challenges from upstream to downstream.
