RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government, through the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), launched the 1000 PROACTIVE UMKM (Collaborative Foster Parent Program. The program is as a concrete step to strengthen collaboration in encouraging micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the natural medicine (OBA) and cosmetics sectors to become more competitive.

At the 1000 PROACTIVE UMKM Kick-Off event held on Thursday, March 12, 2026, BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar emphasized that this program is part of an effort to build a strong health and wellness industry ecosystem in Indonesia.

According to him, Indonesia has great potential in this sector, supported by its rich biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and a large domestic market. "The 1000 PROACTIVE UMKM Kick-Off is a concrete step to strengthen collaboration in encouraging OBA and cosmetics MSMEs to thrive, become competitive, and penetrate the global market," Taruna Ikrar Stated.

Today's kick-off was conducted by the Head of BPOM, along with staff, industry representatives, and MSME representatives. This was followed by the launch of a virtual tour of Good Traditional Medicine Manufacturing Practices (CPOTB) and Good Cosmetic Manufacturing Practices (CPKB). Additionally, the OBA and cosmetics start-up module was launched today, which was then symbolically handed over by the Head of BPOM to MSME representatives, namely Greenovasi Herbal Indonesia and Madu Aswaja.

Taruna explained that the OBA and cosmetics sectors play a crucial role in supporting national economic growth. The government is targeting Indonesia's economic growth of 5.4% in 2026, increasing to 8% by 2029. "BPOM plays not only a regulator and supervisory role, but also a facilitator, encouraging the growth of industry and MSMEs through adaptive regulations and faster and more transparent services," he continued.

BPOM data shows that over the past five years, MSMEs in the cosmetics sector have experienced 49% growth, while MSMEs in the OBA sector have grown by around 7%. These figures demonstrate significant potential that can be further developed.

One effort is the Adoptive Parents (OTA) program, which connects large industries with MSMEs to accelerate knowledge transfer and increase business capacity.

However, industry participation in the OTA program remains limited. Of approximately 160 traditional medicine industries, only about 14% are involved in the MSME mentoring program. Meanwhile, of 145 large industries in the cosmetics sector, participation is only around 7%. Therefore, the Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) is inviting more OBA and cosmetics industry players to participate in mentoring 1,000 MSMEs through the PROAKTIF program.

By developing the OTA program into PROAKTIF, this collaboration is being expanded to include the government, industry, and various strategic partners to assist MSMEs in their advancement. "This kick-off momentum is a joint step to strengthen the Indonesian MSME ecosystem. Because when MSMEs advance, the Indonesian economy will also strengthen," Taruna hoped.

Meanwhile, PT Pharmacia Herbal representative, Verawaty, stated that her participation in the 1000 PROAKTIF MSMEs mentoring program was driven by a desire to improve business quality while ensuring that the products produced meet accountable standards. "Our motivation for participating in this program is so that our business can move up a level and be responsible for producing quality products," she said.

On this occasion, the BPOM (National Agency of Drug and Food Control) also presented a Phase 1 CPOTB certificate to an adopted MSME, namely PT Rejeki Tujuh Alam, an adopted subsidiary of PT Bintang Toedjoe, and a Distribution Permit Number (NIE) certificate to PT Pharmacia Herbal, an adopted subsidiary of PT Royal Medicalink. The kick-off also included a talk show titled "Collaborate to Elevate: OBA and Cosmetic MSMEs Rise, Empower, Go Global."

The Head of BPOM stated that they would facilitate the program by involving universities and industry to ensure a greater impact. Taruna hopes that MSMEs can rise and become more empowered, becoming masters in their own country, and even penetrating the global market.