|
The Indonesian and Australia governments are jointly
providing funding for a special project to build the export capacity of
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia.
Angelica Aurore Bunanta, the in-country project manager of the
Indonesia-Australia Specialized Training Project (IASTP) III, said
Thursday in Jakarta that comprehensive six-day courses in Malang, East
Java; Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara; and Makassar, South Sulawesi were
currently being delivered by a team from the Queensland University of
Technology (QUT).
The highly experienced training group consists of experts from
Australia, including Janette Clonan, Graham Poon, Gilbert Cruz-Carreon
and Anna Gebbett, and a team of specialized Indonesian trainers,
mentors and translators, including locally-based businesspeople who
provide input to complement the international training.
"The purpose of the course is to provide a practical, step-by-step
guide for SME owners and government officials on how to organize
businesses for selling into export markets on a sustainable basis,"
Bunanta said.
The focus is on the very practical preparation for exporting,
regardless of the product or service, she said, adding that to date,
SMEs in such areas as textiles, handicrafts, furniture, fisheries and
agricultural products had participated in groups of up to 40 people in
each location. Topics included costing, understanding export
documentation, international marketing and networking, and many other
crucial export areas.
The response from the participants, both private sector and government,
had been very positive, with many remarking that the highly practical
nature of the course content would allow them to use the principles
learnt in their everyday efforts to build export capacity.
The joint project is in line with the basic strategic objectives of the
State Ministry for Cooperatives and SMEs to increase the
competitiveness and productivity of SMEs and to enable them to compete
on both the domestic and global markets.
Indonesia has projected a growth rate of 6.8 percent for the coming
year and exports will play an important part in achieving that growth.
|
