TIME FOR UKM TO EXPAND BUSINESS

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] Summit Meeting 2013 in Indonesia was expected to be a momentum for the Government to promote competitiveness of domestic Small-and-Medium-Business [UKM] at the international market. The Government’s initiative to relate young entrepreneurs activities to that APEC Summit was a positive step as it broadened UKM’s opportunity to enter the global market. The Government could promote expansion of UKM at the international; market, considering its tremendous potential.

Unanimously, APEC members supported Indonesia’s initiative to create business networking for UKM players under the theme of locally connected, globally competitive. I Wayan Dipta, Deputy Chief of UKM Resource Studies Dept, Ministry of Cooperatives and UKM stated in Jakarta on Monday [30/9] that all APEC members agreed to set up business network under the theme of locally connected, globally competitive to be used as annual agenda at the APEC Summit Meeting, UKM section.

Wayan elaborated that beside creating networking for all APEC UKM, the project was one of the promotional effort to jack up marketing. The agreement was follow up the APEC Ministerial Meeting discussing a healthy and independent business climate to develop UMKM which was admittedly important for APEC economy. “This is a chance of UKM to develop business in the global market” Wayan said.

Furthermore Wayan said that the effort to promote entrepreneurship through start-up program four young entrepreneurs exercised in Indonesia, particularly for woman entrepreneurs based on legal framework, had also been agreed upon. Indonesia had also opened access to business counseling service or Business Development Service [BSD] and Business Incubator as well as marketing effort and financing. Although Indonesia was behind other APEC nations in Southeast Asia in terms of small business development, the initiative was responded positively to be followed up by other APEC countries.

Wayan encouraged UKM players to step up competitiveness through application of technology: i.e. information and communication to the maximum. Because Wayan said, one of the possible effort to step up UKM competitiveness was by using IT facilities. Furthermore he described the application of technology, information and communication [ICT] was needed in facing hard competition, particularly the Asean Economic Community 2015.

Therefore, he said, therefore UKM must make use of technology to its broadest extent whereby to develop business, until finally to compete fairly at international forum. UKM must make the best of ICT system. The handicap factor was ignorance and reluctance to learn how to use technology. Therefore Wayan pled to all players of the real sector to change their mindset. He also urged all UKM players not to let themselves being left behind by their competitors in understanding ICT.

According to Wayan, all the successful effort of UKM in Indonesia had strengthened national competitiveness at the global market. The point was how UKM players could step up their roles in facing global competition. He asked how could Indonesia step up competitiveness in the global forum considering the gap in small business development among developing nations. 

Business News - October 4, 2013