Advancing the Development of MSMEs in Jayapura, the Vice President Visits the Community BLK Exhibition and Hands Over KUR Assistance

Jayapura, wapresri.go.id – Vice President K.H. Ma’ruf Amin visited the Product Exhibition of Community Training Centers (BLK) assisted by the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) at the State Finance Building, Jl. Ahmad Yani No. 8 Gurabesi, North Jayapura District, Jayapura City, Tuesday (29/11/2022).

On this occasion, the Vice President viewed the various products of the participants in the Ministry of Manpower’s Community BLK program directly, especially in the Eastern Indonesia region, such as apparel (embroidery techniques) for t-shirts, fashion and textile designs, welding techniques, as well as various kinds of processed agricultural products and fishery.

Not only Kemenaker Community BLK products at this location, but the Vice President also visited the exhibition of MSME products assisted by the Ministry of Finance in the form of coffee and dumplings.

In addition, there was also an exhibition of MSME products assisted by Bank Indonesia in the form of pastries processed from sago, as well as several MSME products assisted by the Jayapura City Government, such as Noken handicrafts and Papuan Batik.

When visiting the exhibition stands one by one, the Vice President asked the MSME seller about their market share and the difficulties they face in their business. One is for a Papuan Noken and Batik craftsman named John Whona.

“Are there many guests or tourists here who buy [Noken and Papuan Batik]?” asked the Vice President.

John Whona also answered that many immigrants bought various Papuan souvenirs, including Noken and Papuan Batik.

“As for sales, we usually sell them directly like we have women here who sell noken. So they sell directly on the side of the road and through galleries,” he explained.

Furthermore, the Vice President asked about the difficulties in developing handicraft products, especially in Jayapura.

“What’s the difficulty?” he asked.

Then, John Whona answered that one of the obstacles he faced, for example, in making nokens, was the manual working technique.

“The difficulty of the producer in spun bark yarn is still the manual way. Maybe we have SMEs assisted by spinning machines,” he said.

In response, the Vice President also asked related parties to help procure the spinning machine. He also requested that Papuan Noken and Batik artisans be more innovative in creating various motifs, so they are increasingly in demand. Therefore Papuan Noken and Batik artisans can develop.

“Maybe it needs innovation. It needs some new design. Still typical of Papua, but designed to be more beautiful,” he said.

The Vice President reviewed various MSME products and handed over venture capital assistance in the form of People’s Business Credit (KUR) from Bank Papua, Bank Mandiri, BRI, and BNI to MSME actors.

The Vice President also handed over the December Sharing Assistance to BAZNAS Papua Province for Indigenous Papuan (OAP) business actors, Business Identification Numbers (NIB) to several MSME actors, Certificates to participants in Creative Economy Micro Business Vocational Training, and Competency Certificates for Training Hours Non-Boarding for BLK Industrial participants in Papua Province.

Accompanying the Vice President in this working visit, Regional Secretary of Papua Province Muhammad Ridwan Ru Masukun and Acting (Acting) Mayor of Jayapura City Frans Pekey. (EP/SK/LHS-BPMI, Setwapres)