Fajarasia.co – The Secretary General (Sekjen) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Suhajar Diantoro continues to encourage local governments (Pemda) to increase the use of domestic products.
“This, he said, is in accordance with the direction of President Joko Widodo, who wants to drive micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” said Suhajar Diantoro in Jakarta Thursday.
The message was conveyed by Suhajar when opening the 2022 Indonesia Maju Expo & Forum entitled “Proud, Love & Wear Indonesian Products” which took place online and offline from the Jakarta Convention Center, Thursday (26/5/2022).
This activity is part of an effort to promote various domestic products which will take place from 26 to 29 May 2022.
Suhajar said that President Joko Widodo recently gathered various heads of ministries/agencies including regional heads regarding increasing the use of domestic products.
Suhajar explained that the Indonesian government had actually been pushing for a variety of domestic products to dominate the Indonesian market.
“Indeed, we have long enough time to continue to rush how this domestic product becomes king in our own country, becomes master at home,” said Suhajar.
Support for domestic products is needed, considering that MSMEs are one of the sectors that have been hit hard by the pandemic. Moreover, said Suhajar, the MSME sector is a business field that absorbs a lot of workers, thus providing a livelihood for the community.
Therefore, Suhajar continued, to mobilize the sector, the president has directed at least 40 percent of the budget for the procurement of goods and services (PBJ) contained in the APBN and APBD to be allocated for the use of domestic products. According to him, this is part of efforts to protect the Indonesian economy so that it continues to grow.
Therefore, said Suhajar, the regional secretary as the budget committee and controller of the use of regional finances can allocate the use of domestic products. He gave an example of this use, for example in providing various needs such as consumption when holding a meeting forum.
“When at the meeting, the regional secretary must control what he eats, he must buy (from) women who (sell domestic products to) prepare snacks for the meeting, not other foods, those are real examples,” he said.
Suhajar also emphasized that the local government can help SMEs enter their products into the e-catalog system that has been built by the Government Baran/Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP).
This step needs to be taken so that MSME products can be easily accessed by the government in fulfilling the procurement of goods and services.
“The task of the regional secretary, the regent, instructs the regional secretary, the regional secretary please instruct the related assistants so that these MSME-UMKM (products) are displayed in the e-catalog,” he said.
In addition, he also invited SOEs such as banks and the private sector to help SMEs to package their products more attractively. Thus, the product is able to compete with various other products.
“Synergies like this are actually what the President (and) the Minister of Home Affairs hope for, so that all of his friends will feel the benefits because our togetherness is building our MSMEs so that they can grow and develop well,” said Suhajar.****
