On the second day of a working visit to Bali Province, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened the 2022 World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) which was held at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Nusa Dua, Badung Regency. In the series of events, Jokowi took the time to talk with one of the SMEs from Bali. In front of Jokowi, Kurniawan Purnomo, a 'Kampung Souvenir' business actor, shared his experience in starting a business, including how he survived the COVID-19 pandemic. "I started the Balinese souvenir business since 2009, the sales were quite good until the pandemic hit and my turnover was drastically reduced. Fortunately, thanks to a digital platform that has an export program, my business was able to rise again and even the turnover rose up to 200%," said Kurniawan in his statement, Thursday (6/10/2022).
Not only that, he was also able to develop his business by exporting rattan bag products to seven countries, including Brazil and Mexico. "Yes, I am very grateful, which previously only sold souvenirs such as rattan bags and negligee for tourists in Bali, in fact they can also sell abroad," he explained. Hearing the story, Jokowi also appreciated the MSME players who managed to rise up in the midst of difficult times. According to him, the creative economy plays an important role in presenting solutions to improve people's lives. "Creative economy can be the main pillar to break inclusive economic growth, economic growth for all," said Jokowi. Jokowi hopes that Indonesian products can continue to take part in the global market as was done by the Souvenir Village. "The creative industry is no longer a local product that is consumed by local people, but the creative industry easily becomes a global product that is easily enjoyed by people across countries," he explained. Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno also believes that the MSME sector can become a solid wall in facing the threat of recession in the future. The reason is that the MSME sector contributes greatly to GDP worth Rp. 8.6 trillion and absorbs 97% of the workforce. "We believe that by jointly advancing the MSME sector, we can face this storm of threats bravely and strongly," concluded Sandiaga.
