VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia is looking to increase the capacity of Surinamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through a workshop held in Paramaribo, from September 16 to 18, 2019.

Thirty participants from Suriname, consisting of start-up business owners, educators, and SME consultants attended the workshop titled 'Dispatch of Experts on Small Medium Enterprises for Suriname'. Suriname's Foreign Minister Yldiz Pollack-Beighle lauded Indonesia's efforts in helping to improve the capacity of human resources in the SME sector. The SME sector is very important to support Suriname's economic growth.

"This cooperation is a reflection of the close relations between Indonesia and Suriname," Pollack-Beighle said at the opening of the workshop, as quoted in a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday.

The opening ceremony of the workshop was also attended by First Lady of the Republic of Suriname Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring.

The workshop was aimed at increasing the ability of participants in planning and developing models, and business operational plans, and enhancing the capacity of human resources in Suriname.

Empowering SMEs was important because it had a multiplier effect for a country, especially in the economic sector, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, Julang Pujianto, stated.

"This activity is one of Indonesia's ongoing efforts to fill the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Suriname, particularly in the field of capacity building," he said.

Cooperation in empowering SMEs is also part of Indonesia's priorities as a member of the United Nations Security Council to synergize the creation of peace with sustainable development and efforts to maintain peace through the development of the people's economy.

The workshop becomes one form of Indonesia's commitment to continue to contribute actively in capacity building within the framework of South-South Cooperation through sending expert dispatches in the field of SMEs with the topic "International Workshop on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Empowerment: Working Together to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ”

In the period 1998-2018, Indonesia has conducted 671 capacity building programs which were attended by around 8,726 participants from various developing countries.

In the 2014-2018 period, Indonesia has organized more than 270 capacity building programs with 4,457 participants. (ANTARA)