Ministry of Tourism’s #BeliKreatifLokal Campaign to Support SMEs

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is striving to stimulate the creative economy via the #BeliKreatifLokal campaign.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Indonesia have been among the hardest hit since the nationwide lockdowns began.

Indonesian SMEs make up ASEAN’s largest SME groupings with 99% of all the country’s businesses falling under the category.

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SMEs in Indonesia employs around 97.2% of the national workforce thus it is integral for the government to support these business players.

Through the #BeliKreatifLokal (#BuyLocalCreativeProducts) campaign, the Tourism Ministry is seeking to minimize the impact of the pandemic on creative economy entities engaged in fashion, gastronomy, and crafts.

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Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Wishnutama Kusubandio, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 29 May to partner with Grab, Blue Bird, Bukalapak, Tokopedia, Shopee, and KontrakHukum.

The Ministry previously signed an MoU with Gojek and Blibli.

The Ministry’s latest campaign is deemed to be in line with President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) national campaign of #BanggaBuatanIndonesia (#ProudIndonesianProducts).

Under the Jokowi administration, the government has placed a special emphasis on assisting Indonesian SMEs and improving their international position.

The central government has rolled out a range of programs in a bid to make Indonesian SMEs more competitive.

SMEs and the Digital Economy

By partnering with Indonesia’s leading players of the digital economy, the Tourism Ministry is pushing to integrate Indonesian SMEs’ product sales channel via the online marketplace.

The MoU also encompasses co-branding initiatives in addition to Intellectual Property Rights and legal consultations.

“During the pandemic, the role of digitalization for creative economy entities is crucial thus it is with the hope that the program can support the growth of Indonesian SMEs and support the country’s economy,” stated Wishnutama.

The integration of Indonesian SMEs in the digital sphere will enable these small-scale businesses to maintain their profit, sales, and product quality.

Currently, Indonesian SMEs fall short on competitiveness-supporting skills such as innovation and technological adoption.

To enhance their skills, Indonesian SMEs will additionally be equipped with online mentoring led by experienced mentors and practitioners.

“The e-commerce mentoring facility includes promotions, content creation for sales purposes, and even counseling programs,” stated Nia Niscaya as Deputy of Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

The Tourism Ministry has also asked for the public to buy local so as to contribute to the #BeliKreaktifLokal and #BanggaBuatanIndonesia campaigns. (Writer: Anggara Wikan Prasetya) 

Source: https://kilaskementerian.kompas.com/kemenparekraf/read/2020/05/29/205906027/belikreatiflokal-kampanye-kemenparekraf-untuk-selamatkan-pelaku-ekonomi