The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) ensures continued access to marketing for all products owned by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of the country to international markets. Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga in Surabaya, Monday, stated that the central government has completed 38 trade agreements so far. "These trade agreements span across five continents, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Europe," said Jerry. He mentioned that one of the benefits of these partnership agreements is related to the import tariffs on goods sent from Indonesia to other countries. "We have a trade agreement with Australia CEPA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which has many benefits, one of which is duty-free imports," he said.
Therefore, the Deputy Minister hopes that the established cooperation can be utilized effectively by all MSMEs to expand their market coverage. In addition to upgrading their class, he continued, the government wants Indonesian MSMEs to be more recognized internationally. "For example, we have nearly seven thousand products that are not subject to import duties, which is very helpful," he said. Not only trade agreements, but the Deputy Minister also ensures continuous assistance in improving the quality of domestic MSME products through training, curation, advocacy, and mentoring. "We have 46 trade representation points worldwide, including trade attachés and ITPCs (Indonesia Trade Promotion Center), all under the Ministry of Trade," he said. However, Jerry requested that the efforts made by the government be accompanied by the consistency of domestic MSME actors regarding the quantity, quality, and continuity of product production. He also requested assistance from local governments, both at the provincial and district/city levels, to help oversee the sustainability of the MSME sector. "We all synergize so that the shipment of goods can be consistent, of high quality, and in large quantities," he concluded.
