Multinational and SMEs cooperation must be developed, Minister says

Jakarta, InfoPublik – Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Puspayoga hoped cooperation between multinational corporations and Indonesian cooperatives must be developed.

“The development of SMEs cooperatives is vital in the midst of current free market era. Srikandi Cooperative and Lotte Mart have established a good cooperation in which Srikandi can sell their products in Lotte Mart,” Minister Puspayoga said at the launching of Srikandi Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) in Jakarta on Thursday (4/20).

The cooperation scheme between Srikandi and Lotte Mart is a good example for quality improvement and market development of Indonesian SMEs Cooperatives products in global market.

"SMEs Cooperatives should continue to be fostered from upstream to downstream," he said.

The Minister continued that from the process of production, through packaging, to network marketing, SMEs cooperatives should continue to get assistance, especially from large companies.

He also expressed appreciation to Lotte Mart who is not only working at the end of the process, but also providing assistance for processing and packaging.

Sri Sulistyowati, the head of Srikandi Women Cooperative, said that the company has 2,602 farmer consultants, 14 VCO consulting groups, and five klentik (cooking oil basic ingredients) manufacturers in several regions in Purworejo and Wonosobo regencies.

She also explained that the cooperative will continue to hold community empowerment activities based on local resources.

"Our main activity is to carry out community empowerment in the field of coconut based products which includes VCO, coconut cooking oil, crystal sugar, and so on," she said. (Translator: Sugiarti)