“Gernas BBI will support MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] in Maluku to promote Maluku’s spices and natural resources through digital marketing so that our local potential can advance to a global stage,” he said during the launch of Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku on Friday.

In line with Presidential Decree No. 15/2021, the government formed the Gernas BBI team to accelerate, monitor and evaluate the program’s results. The team works with regional governments, associations, industries, professional organizations, academics and the media in data collection, training, access to capital, market expansion, campaigning, budgeting and economic stimulus.

Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku is organized by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry in collaboration between the Vocational Education Directorate General and Culture Directorate alongside strategic partners such as Garuda Indonesia, RRI, TVRI, Antara, Trans Group and Tokopedia. Support was also provided by the Communications and Information Ministry and Bank Indonesia (BI).

Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku programs include competitions for MSMEs and video content, webinars, workshops, as well as a training session for MSMEs. The program will reach its peak on Nov. 16 in Ambon, Maluku.

One of Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku’s flagship programs is a digital marketing training course for vocational students, with speakers from the Communications and Information Ministry, the Indonesian e-Commerce Association, as well as various MSME communities to support the onboarding of vocational MSMEs.

According to Nadiem, Gernas BBI will be a strategic step in terms of well-being and economic recovery, as a sustainable and developed Indonesia is a vision that must be realized through collaboration, innovation and pride over Indonesian-made products.

“Together, let us support Gerakan Nasional Bangga Buatan Indonesia Aroma Maluku and move together to realize Merdeka Belajar,” he said.

Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku was formally launched by Education, Culture, Research and Technology Secretary-General Suharti, who marked the occasion by banging a traditional tifa instrument. The event was also attended by Vocational Education Director General Wikan Sakarinto, Culture Director General Hilmar Farid, as well as acting higher education, research and technology director general Nizam and Tokopedia public policy and government relations head Hilmi Adrianto.

Unlike other ministries and institutions, the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry included a wide range of educational units to participate in Gernas BBI.

“Aside from increasing the quality of education units, this program will also help the success of Gernas BBI and introduce vocational education that is deeply intertwined with innovation and entrepreneurship,” Wikan said in his report.

Gernas BBI Aroma Maluku aims to further develop the MSMEs of Maluku to contribute to the national economy, especially in the post-pandemic recovery efforts. It aims to upskill more than 1,000 MSMEs and vocational education units in Maluku to increase their range of products and services and provide them with ease of digital transactions.

“If not us, who else? If not now, when else? So, let us all shop locally made products.”

Meanwhile, Maluku Education and Culture Agency acting head Insun Sangadji said the event highlighted the province’s potentials, from spices and textiles to culinary creations.

“We bring together the needs of the industry with vocational schools, whose products we will also include alongside Maluku’s MSMEs,” Insun said.

Hilmi expressed Tokopedia’s commitment to supporting MSMEs during the pandemic, noting that Tokopedia focused on a two-step process.

“First, we digitize MSMEs so they can be onboarded to a digital platform. Secondly, we create demand by holding promotional events and campaigns so that more people will buy Indonesian products,” he said.

Bank Indonesia, a supporter of Gernas BBI, is of the view that MSME empowerment can help create independence, social well-being and economic equality.

“MSME empowerment is a bridge to include groups that were previously dependent on others to become independent business owners, who can create more jobs once their businesses have taken off. This is the importance of MSME empowerment,” says Bank Indonesia MSME development and consumer protection head Yunita Resmi Sari.

The launch of Gernas BBI Aroma was also accompanied by the launch of its logo, mascot and jingle as a shared campaign identity. For more information on Gernas BBI, visit belanjaciptamaluku.kemdikbud.go.id and the Instagram account @belanja.cipta.nusantara.

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