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MSMEs in 10 Priority Tourist Destinations Are Encouraged to Use Digital Applications - 

MSMEs are encouraged to maximize the use of digital applications in order to increase their income and increase their business class.

Directorate of Digital Economy, Directorate General of Informatics Applications, Ministry of Communication and Informatics RI facilitates 26,000 MSMEs in 10 Priority Indonesian Tourism Destinations with assistance from facilitators, Training Centers, data package assistance, marketplace aggregator applications, cashier applications (POS - Point of Sales), and learning applications online for six months so that MSMEs are more skilled in doing business using digital platforms.

The 10 priority tourist destinations include Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Tanjung Kelayang (Babel), Mandalika (NTB), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), Morotai (North Maluku), Thousand Islands (Jakarta), Tanjung Lesung (Banten), Borobudur (Central Java), Bromo (East Java), and Labuan Bajo (NTT). With each region as many as 2,600 SMEs.

The assistance carried out in these 10 Priority Tourism Destinations is the achievement of active-selling from 26,000 MSMEs in the manufacturing sector producer category. From Active Selling, MSMEs are expected to be able to revive their online stores in the marketplace by uploading photos and product descriptions, interacting with potential consumers, and also conducting transactions in the marketplace.

The target of this activity is a continuation of the target achieved in the previous year, namely on-boarding (owning or opening an online store) of 20,000 MSMEs in traditional markets in ten designated cities.

“This activity is a continuation of last year's on-boarding targeting traditional market traders. This year we are doing active-selling so that SMEs are more aggressive in trading in the online market and can maximize digital applications to increase access to marketing, capital and businesses that are relatively effective and efficient," said Puti Adella Elvina, Sub Coordinator of the MSME Impact Study and Survey. Ministry of Communication and Informatics RI in Jakarta, Friday (23/07/2021).

For six months, from July to December 2021, the 26,000 MSMEs were assisted in the active-selling process, receiving training materials on the topics of Social Media Utilization, E-Commerce, Financial Technology, POS (Point of Sales) Applications, and Technology 4.0. The hope is that MSMEs will be able to increase the capacity to use digital applications in their business activities.

In addition, 26,000 MSMEs will also get a marketplace aggregator application facility, to facilitate the monitoring process of online store activities in several marketplaces. MSMEs are also guided to implement the POS (Point of Sales) application so that their transaction processes are recorded properly. The two applications can be used for free for six months for MSMEs who participate in this activity. To access the digital platform, MSMEs are provided with data package facilities.

The facilitators deployed are ready to assist MSMEs both online and offline. Offline assistance can be carried out at the Training Center provided in each area complete with wifi and laptop facilities. However, if there are obstacles to attending the Training Center, the facilitator will come to the business location or domicile of the MSME actors. Special internet access at various regional points is also provided for MSMEs whose business locations are far from the Training Center.

This was also emphasized by Sumarno, Coordinator of Digital Technology Adoption of MSMEs at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia on the sidelines of his field visit: “The facilitators who have received training are ready to assist MSMEs both online and offline. You can do it at the Training Center, you can do it in a business place too. This assistance and facilities are provided for 26,000 MSMEs for six months.”
The use of digital technology and applications must continue to be echoed so that MSMEs in various industries, levels, and regions, can experience the benefits of digital technology to support their business.

This program is also supported by publication activities to increase public awareness through local radios in ten target areas that reach remote areas, which invites MSME actors to maximize opportunities to develop their businesses by optimizing the use of digital applications. This awareness is also addressed to relevant stakeholders, so that they can synergize in encouraging the development of MSMEs in their regions.

Along with the Mentoring Activities, the RI Kominfo also conducted a survey of 37,000 MSMEs in the producer and processing sector at the same target location online and offline. This survey aims to update data related to the adoption of digital technology by MSMEs, which can be used as a basis for the implementation of the next program.

There are three major agendas for MSMEs in the country from the Directorate of Digital Economy, Directorate General of Informatics Applications, RI Kominfo, namely on-boarding, active-selling, and scale-up. The three agendas aim to make MSMEs grow bigger and become at the forefront of the people's economy.

“We have three programs for SMEs so that they become big businessmen. From the usual stalls, we encourage them to have an online shop (on-boarding). Then we facilitate them to increase their business activities on various digital platforms (active-selling). And in the future, we will accompany them to spread their wings and develop their business with a scale-up program,” concluded I Nyoman Adhiarna, Plt. Director of Digital Economy, Ministry of Communication and Informatics RI//PR/NK