RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Trade is intensifying efforts to strengthen the domestic market by supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), expanding access to modern retail networks, and promoting local products.

Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the initiative includes continuous training, mentoring, product quality improvement, and stronger design and branding. These measures aim to help MSME products compete in both domestic and export markets.

“We are providing development and export opportunities to MSMEs and facilitating their entry into modern retail,” Minister Budi said during a Working Meeting of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) with the Ministry of Trade and the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) in Jakarta on Thursday, July 16, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The ministry has been working to expand MSME access to domestic and international markets. In 2025, it facilitated 100 export-ready MSMEs with potential transactions worth USD 134 million. Between January and May 2026, transactions reached USD 193 million.

Minister Budi noted that about 70 percent of participants were new exporters. Conducting business matching entirely online made the process more efficient and broadened participation without burdening the state budget.

Commission VI lawmaker Mufti Aimah Nurul Anam stressed that domestic markets must be protected from imported goods. He said many MSMEs, particularly in the garment and textile sectors, face heavy pressure from cheap imports.

“The problem is not that MSME products are less competitive in terms of quality, but that the domestic market is flooded with imported products at much lower prices,” Mufti said.

He urged the ministry to strengthen oversight of imported goods and ensure the use of trade protection instruments to safeguard national industries and MSMEs.

Meanwhile, fellow Commission VI lawmaker Herman Khaeron highlighted the ministry’s strategic role in strengthening national trade. He pointed to the importance of opening new markets, modernizing domestic trade, revitalizing traditional markets, and improving facilities that directly benefit MSMEs and traders.

Minister Budi emphasized that the ministry continues to provide training, mentoring, product quality enhancement, and branding support to ensure MSME products meet market demands both at home and abroad. ***