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Co-ops, SMEs told to standardize products for promoting abroad
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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participate in a trade expo at the Jakarta Convention Center. (Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro)
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ooperatives and businesses are advised to register their products with the Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry and to achieve product standards so the ministry can help promote them abroad, a ministry official has said.
Secretary to the minister Agus Muharram said in Jakarta over the weekend that the products made by Indonesian cooperatives and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had started to gain popularity overseas, especially in Asian countries.
“Right now, those in demand are fashion, accessories and furniture,” Agus told The Jakarta Post, adding that food and beverage (F&B) products were still facing difficulties in entering foreign markets, which had standards for imported products.
Therefore, he said, the managements of cooperatives and SMEs in the F&B manufacturing sector needed to standardize the quality and safety of their products.
Read also: Kadin asks IDX to ease rules, allow SMEs to go public“It is better for cooperatives and SMEs to eye the foreign markets. Once they can meet national standards, there will be fewer additional requirements when they want to sell their products in other countries,” Agus said.
Based on the Central Statistics Agency's 2015 data, SMEs and cooperatives contributed more than half of the country’s GDP, contributing US$529 billion (61.41 percent) of $861.3 billion GDP, while they exported only 15.7 percent of their products and commodities. (dea/bbn)
