The Provincial Government of Bangka Belitung Islands is facilitating the shipment of sample products from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to four countries as part of an effort to encourage entrepreneurs to accelerate their export market expansion. In the process of shipping sample products to potential buyers in Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Department of Cooperatives and SMEs of Bangka Belitung Province are collaborating with the Customs and Excise Office and the Faculty of Economics at the University of Bangka Belitung. The targeted successful shipment of sample products from Bangka Belitung's MSMEs to these countries is expected to enable several MSME products to engage in export business. Currently, they are also conducting training for 15 potential export-oriented MSMEs from Bangka Belitung as an effort to elevate these enterprises through the export market.
Through the export of various products manufactured by MSMEs, it is also anticipated that the export value of Bangka Belitung as a significant component of the regional gross domestic product (GDP), will rise. 87% of Bangka Belitung's export structure consists of tin, while 44% of the labor force is absorbed by the mining and agricultural sectors. The dependence on tin must be reduced swiftly, given that the Central Government is set to halt tin exports in the near future and will pursue the downstreaming of 21 leading commodities until 2040. The role of MSMEs is highly strategic during this transitional period to ensure the wheels of the economy in Bangka Belitung turn smoothly. During the MSME training, participants are equipped with skills to access the export market. This includes proficiency in English, crafting compelling business proposals, digital marketing, and publication. Up to this point, five MSME entrepreneurs have exported their products to various countries. These products mainly include culinary items and handicrafts such as ketapang leaves have been exported to America and Japan, and this year, there are plans to export them to Germany. Nipah palm leaf products are exported to Nepal, India, and Pakistan, white pepper is sent to Canada, while various nipah palm handicrafts are regularly exported every two to three months to Singapore.
