Jakarta. The government reaffirmed its comitment to support micro-enterpreneurs across Indonesia with the new Kumitra program.

The Deputy Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Helvi Moraza recently launched Kumitra, short for "Kemudahan Usaha Mikro untuk Bermitra". This Indonesian term can be translated to the "facilitation of micro-enterpreneurs to partnerships". Speaking at the event's launch in Jember, Helvi called on everyone to build partnerships that are fair and mutually beneficial for both sides.

"This way, our hope of realizing a more just, inclusive, and sovereign Indonesian economy can be achieved," Helvi said.

The Kumitra program expands employment opportunities, strengthen partnership access, and open supply chains for micro-entrepreneurs, with the support of various agencies and business partners.

"Kumitra is expected to become an inclusive empowerment instrument that helps accelerate poverty eradication, especially for micro-entrepreneurs in villages, poor households, people with disabilities, and women who are the breadwinners," Helvi said.

According to Helvi, small businesses today still find it difficult to establish strategic and sustainable partnerships.

"Partnerships with large businesses, state-owned enterprises, and the private sector are key to increasing production capacity, expanding market reach, and strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs," Helvi said.

Large businesses have advantages in access to technology, markets, financing, and extensive distribution networks. Micro-level enterpreneurs, on the other hand, excel in local potential, innovation, and adaptability. Synergy between the two is key to creating a competitive business ecosystem.

"The Kumitra program is a strategy to open business opportunities, strengthen the capacity of micro-entrepreneurs, and help them advance to be integrated into formal supply chains at the national and global levels," he said.

"The main spirit of Kumitra is to build a business ecosystem that strengthens each other, not dominates each other," he said.

Jember Regent Muhammad Fawait said that the region's local MSMEs had diverse potential ranging from agrifood, fishery, tourism to creative industries.

"We hope that our MSMEscan connect with the larger business ecosystem," he said.

The event also saw the signing of a cooperation agreement as well as a letter of intent to strengthen the partnership and suply chain for the micro-enterprises in Jember's food cluster.

Deputy Minister Helvi also presented the edamame and okra harvests from partner farmers to Mitratani Dua Tujuh, symbolizing the real synergy between micro-entrepreneurs and large industries.