VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Trade Ministry is striving to optimize Indonesia’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase the volume of national exports, especially of micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) products, to the region.

"We have to take advantage of it. We must ensure that Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN 2023 can encourage our local MSME products to become superior products on an international level," Deputy Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, said here on Thursday.

Domestic handicrafts, snacks, and clothing products have the potential to become superior products in the Southeast Asian region, he noted.

In addition, Indonesian online games also have a large and promising economic potential, he said.

"Indeed, it (the games) is free to download. However, there are many additional features which need purchasing to be downloaded," the deputy minister added.

As directed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), his ministry is striving to ensure that the products Indonesia exports are finished processed products that have added value.

Sambuaga emphasized that increasing export performance with the support of MSME actors would have a positive impact on the domestic economy, for instance, in terms of product downstreaming and opening new working opportunities.

"As chair of ASEAN, we have strategic values and potentials to ensure Indonesia is able to become a strategic global (economic) player, not just at regional level," he said.

The value of Indonesia’s exports to ASEAN countries reached US$3.97 billion (Rp61.46 trillion) in May 2023, an increase of 26.02 percent compared to the previous month (month-to-month), according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

During the period, Indonesia's exports to a number of its main trading partners in the region, including Singapore, showed an increase.

Indonesia's exports to Singapore climbed by 25.78 percent month-to-month to touch US$688.6 million (Rp10.66 trillion).

Meanwhile, the volume of the nation’s exports to Malaysia reached US$958.1 million (Rp14.83 trillion), up 19.23 percent month-to-month, and Thailand US$547.9 million (Rp8.48 trillion), up 53.27 percent month-to-month. (antaranews)