Acting Secretary General of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI), Siti Fauziah, highlighted the urgency of strategic transformation for the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector in Indonesia. Amidst the increasingly massive pressure of imported products, she emphasized that proper product curation is a crucial key for local business actors to compete in the global market and possess more competitive bargaining value.
The main problem currently faced by MSMEs is not merely the quality aspect, but obstacles in identifying competitive advantages, determining accurate target markets, and standardizing export packaging. Siti Fauziah emphasized that product curation is a strategic mindset that integrates innovation, quality, and product positioning to remain relevant to the tastes of global consumers.
In the digital era of 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is seen as a game-changer. The utilization of AI allows MSME actors to perform real-time market trend analysis, identify global opportunities earlier, and efficiently personalize marketing strategies. This transformation is seen as capable of optimizing the supply chain and narrowing the gap with foreign products.
Although the government has made efforts through incubation programs and digital training, the challenge of technology access for business actors in the regions remains a real barrier. Siti Fauziah hopes for concrete actions in the form of sustainable support, such as mentoring by expert mentors and providing affordable technological infrastructure, so that MSMEs do not just survive but are able to expand their markets sustainably.
Strengthening MSME competitiveness through this digitalization is believed to have a broad impact on the national economy, ranging from creating new jobs, increasing national foreign exchange from the export sector, to reducing national economic inequality. Synergy between the government, academia, and the private sector is an absolute prerequisite to ensure that the digital ecosystem for MSMEs runs effectively in order to realize regional economic independence.
