Strengthening Economy, Heru Hands Over Aid to Muara Angke MSMEs

The Jakarta administration and the Friends of Mother's Heart Foundation (SHB), provided facility assistance to several MSMEs in the Muara Angke area, North Jakarta, Thursday (9/14).

We encourage more MSMEs to upgrade and increase sales of domestic products

Heru Budi Hartono, Acting Governor of Jakarta hoped that Jakarta's economy would become stronger and more MSMEs move up in class. He also encouraged the related regional apparatus organizations (OPD) to continuously make breakthroughs and build cross-sector synergies in order to realize Jakarta as a Global City.

"We encourage more MSMEs to upgrade and increase sales of domestic products. I instruct agencies to hold coaching for them," he expressed, in the Muara Angke area, Thursday (9/14).

Jakarta Intends to Upgrade Many MSMEs

Today's activity was also attended by Jakarta Maritime, Fishery, and Food Security Agency (KPKP); Jakarta Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Agency (PPKUKM); North Jakarta administration, and administrators of SHB Foundation.

At that time, the Acting Governor and his entourage visited the Fish Auction Place (TPI) to inspect the unloading of fish caught by fishermen and witness fish auction activities. He also had time to chat with the auction participants while giving them gifts.

Then he went to the Coastal Community Food House to inspect the Traditional Fishery Product Processing (PHPT) location. He dialogued with the Women's Safe House community assisted by the SHB Foundation, the fish processing community, and the Muara Angke Mangrove Community (KOMMA).

He then provided facility assistance to MSMEs and symbolically handed over the keys to the food house. The house would later become a center for developing MSMEs and community assistance activities in the Muara Angke area under the Jakarta KPKP Agency and the SHB Foundation.

Jakarta KPKP Agency Head, Suharini Eliawati explained Muara Angke is the largest fishing port area in Jakarta. It has a 72-hectare land in which there are locations for developing MSMEs for coastal communities, including Fish Processing and Cold Storage Units, Traditional Fishery Product Processing (PHPT), fishing boat harbor pools, and fish wholesale markets.

"There is a Fish Processing and Cold Storage Unit with 78 business actors capable of absorbing a workforce of 3,120 people. Then the fishing boat harbor pool there can accommodate 1,949 operating fishing boats, and the workforce has reached almost 24,000 people," she explained.

SHB Foundation Manager, Nova Katuuk uttered that she was committed to advancing Muara Angke MSMEs. Several programs had been prepared, including training and mentoring for fried onion businesses, processed salted fish, and others.

She asserted that the SHB Foundation, through the Jakarta Care program, also often holds social activities in Muara Angke. It is an agenda to help reduce the number of poor people in the coastal area of North Jakarta.

"Besides MSMEs, we're also focusing on assisting vulnerable groups including children and women through the Women's Safe House program. This is not the first time the foundation has held activities in Muara Angke, previously through the Peduli Jakarta program, we also often carried out social activities in this area," she stated.