Arsyad Rasjid, the General Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), discussed economic challenges during a visit to the official residence of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, at a halal bihalal event on Thursday evening.He emphasized the need for collaboration between Kadin and the government to anticipate future economic challenges, acknowledging the weightiness of upcoming economic challenges. Arsyad stressed the importance of addressing economic issues now, despite the upcoming change in government regime scheduled for October, emphasizing the necessity of continued development of the domestic economy, particularly in uplifting local micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM).
Protecting domestic UMKM products from foreign competition is crucial to prevent them from being overshadowed by imported goods flooding the domestic market, according to Arsyad. He expressed concerns that failure to do so could weaken local UMKM businesses, leading to job losses.Arsyad clarified that his visit had no political agenda, despite Airlangga's role as the Chairman of the Golkar Party, a coalition party in the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential election won by Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He emphasized that his current focus, as the General Chairman of Kadin, is solely on economic discussions.
