Community should support MSMEs run by disabled people: Minister

State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir appealed to the general public to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) run by people with disabilities by purchasing their products.

“The SOEs for Indonesia foundation has helped. Now, it is time for the community to take part. I appeal to the community to support disabled MSME players by buying their products,” he noted in a written statement here on Friday.

Buying the products can encourage disabled MSME players to continue to develop their products, he remarked.

Efforts to revive economic growth in Indonesia must involve all sectors, especially the MSME sector. Hence, the MSME sector, accounting for 97 percent of the national economic power, should continue to develop.

To this end, the “SOEs for Indonesia” foundation provided assistance in the form of production equipment for MSMEs run by people with disabilities in East Java.

The distribution of assistance, which took place at the Harmoni Building, Pasuruan, East Java, was witnessed by the SOEs minister, Mayor of Pasuruan Saifullah Yusuf, and Pasuruan District Head H. Irsyad Yusuf.

Thohir lauded the support given by the SOEs for Indonesia foundation for disabled MSME players in jointly partaking in the national economic growth.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the SOEs for Indonesia foundation, Syafuan, affirmed that disabled MSME players must be given the same rights and opportunities.

This especially becomes important after the current COVID-19 pandemic, as all MSME actors are affected by a decline in the people’s purchasing power.

“We hope that assistance in the form of production equipment needed to improve quality and productivity aspects to increase product competitiveness in the market would restore their eagerness to rise,” Syafuan remarked.

On that occasion, the foundation also provided scholarship assistance and supporting facilities to a member of the Nahdlatul Ulama Women Students’ Association (IPPNU), Sandiani Sri Wahyuni.

Source: Antara News