Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) based in Gorontalo have successfully conducted their inaugural export of live mangrove crabs weighing 71.6 kg to Singapore. The Head of Gorontalo Customs and Excise Office, stated in Gorontalo on Monday that SMEs play a crucial role in Indonesia's economic development. The inaugural export by this SME demonstrates further the significant role that SMEs play in Indonesia's economy and their capacity to penetrate the international market. He believed that with determination and courage, every SME has an equal opportunity to actively contribute as a driving force in the country's economy. The Customs and Excise, as a vertical agency under the Ministry of Finance, has the duty to provide guidance to SMEs and is prepared to offer assistance to SMEs from the initial stages of business development until they are capable of exporting. In collaboration with other Ministries of Finance institutions, we wholeheartedly support SMEs in Gorontalo, particularly in their readiness to compete on the international stage.
 
To bolster the national economic recovery program, Latif mentioned that the Customs and Excise has optimized SMEs in the region through the establishment of an SME empowerment team. The Gorontalo Customs and Excise Office itself has an export clinic ready to provide guidance to potential exporters at no cost. Data from the Gorontalo Fish Quarantine, Quality Control, and Fisheries Product Safety Station (SKIPM) revealed that in 2019, the export volume was recorded at 140,783 kg; in 2020, it was 137,664 kg; in 2021, it reduced to 62,414 kg; in 2022, it further decreased to 31,935 kg; and in 2023, up to July, it reached 7,607 kg. The Director of CV. Utama Perkasa Indonesia, stated that their inaugural export could not have been possible without the role of the Customs and Excise and SKIPM Gorontalo.
 
Source : https://gorontalo.antaranews.com/amp/berita/227805/umkm-gorontalo-ekspor-kepiting-bakau-ke-singapura