The Gayo Banda Aceh Youth Association has officially urged the Central Aceh Regency Government (Pemkab) to immediately establish a business incubator. This step is considered crucial as a strategic effort to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and reduce unemployment among the youth in the region.
The Chairman of the Gayo Banda Aceh Youth Association, Satria Darmawan, expressed his concern over the local government's lack of support for entrepreneurial development. Based on demographic data, Central Aceh has great potential with 32.24 percent of its population in the productive age group (15–34 years old). However, the reality on the ground shows that only about one percent of this group has entered the entrepreneurial world.
Satria warned that this demographic bonus risks becoming a social burden if not managed well immediately. The Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in Central Aceh was recorded at 4.03 percent in 2026, a significant increase compared to 2020 which stood at 3.05 percent. The lack of access to capital and business mentoring remains the main obstacle hindering the development of the MSME sector in the region.
In a *policy brief* submitted to the Central Aceh Youth and Sports Agency, the organization proposed three concrete solutions: drafting regulations for capital support for young entrepreneurs, optimizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and establishing a business incubation center. This incubator is expected to serve as a platform for training, access to financing, and market networking for businesses in the creative economy sector.
As a long-term step, the Gayo Youth Association is pushing for a legal framework in the form of a Regent Regulation or *qanun* to guarantee sustained support for young entrepreneurs. It is hoped that these recommendations will serve as a foundation for the Central Aceh Regency Government to formulate policies that favor the economic independence of the younger generation in the future.
