Trade minister vows action to develop W Sumatra small industries

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan promised actions to help small and medium industry actors in West Sumatra's Padang City develop their businesses and markets by resolving complaints and hurdles.

"We will accommodate and seek solutions to inputs and complaints from small and medium industry actors in Padang to ensure their growth to achieve export markets," Hasan stated after attending a discussion with small industry representatives here on Sunday.

The minister said that shortcomings in product certification as export requisites, export facility mechanisms, and promotional facilities for small industries are among the issues highlighted by Padang's small industry actors.

The local small industry actors also expected assistance from Indonesia's overseas trade promotion centre and trade attache in Indonesian embassies to promote their products, he added. Hasan affirmed that his ministry will consider continued support for the export coaching programme (ECP), which has been implemented for two years in West Sumatra.

"We will also facilitate the promotion through the Trade Export Indonesia event and study the possibility of collaborating with the Regional Crafts Council (Dekranasda) on promotional display," the minister remarked.

Meanwhile, the province's industry and trade agency head, Novrial, said that through ECP, export-orientated business actors undergo seven-staged mentoring for up to one year to help them develop their business to reach export markets independently.

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He noted that in 2023, the ECP in West Sumatra was attended by 30 small industry entrepreneurs, of which 16 immediately exported their products in the same year they completed the mentoring course. Meanwhile, 30 select entrepreneurs are participating in the 2024 edition of the programme, he added.