Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Presents in a Public Lecture at Udayana University "MSMEs are an Important Key to the Economy"

The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in collaboration with Udayana University (Unud) held a Public Lecture and Review of MSME Financing Books at the Widya Sabha Auditorium Building, Jimbaran Campus, Thursday (22/9/2022). This public lecture presented speakers, namely the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr. (H.C) Ir. Airlangga Hartarto, MBA., MMT., IPU as Keynote Speech, and Deputy for Macroeconomics and Finance Coordination Dr. Iskandar Simorangkir, SE., MA who brought the Introduction to the Book Study Discussion "MSME Financing".

Head of Student Affairs Bureau Drs. I Ketut Kartika who on this occasion represented the Chancellor of Unud in his speech said that MSMEs in Indonesia have a very important role in the economy, but in the last two decades the role of MSMEs in Indonesia has changed relatively. Access to financing or capital is an obstacle that causes the MSME sector to find it difficult to increase its economic scale.

This MSME Financing book is very useful in sharing knowledge and experience for policy makers, business actors or academics as knowledge to develop MSMEs by learning success stories and past failures so that we can avoid the same mistakes. The book also discusses the role of MSMEs in the economy, MSME resilience to the MSME financing policy crisis, Islamic financing for MSMEs and MSME financing during the Covid-19 period. This activity is very beneficial for all of us, especially students because there are elements of the government as policy makers, there are banking practitioners as KUR distributors and also KUR guarantors, academics, MSME actors. The Head of the Bureau appreciated all parties involved in the implementation of this activity and asked participants to actively participate and take advantage of the existing exhibition booths to discuss MSMEs.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in his keynote speech hoped that this activity could encourage the development of MSMEs and disseminate MSME financing more broadly for Indonesia's sustainable economic development. The MSME Financing Book was launched on November 11, 2021, which contains various knowledge and experiences in developing MSMEs, considering that MSMEs are pillars of economic growth that can survive during the pandemic.

MSME actors are an important key to the economy where their contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is 61 percent with employment reaching 97 percent of the national workforce, in addition, the existence of MSMEs also encourages investment. In this regard, the President has given directions to increase MSME credit posts to banks and Bank Indonesia has issued regulations related to the People's Business Credit (KUR) financing program. The government continues to develop the KUR program so that it can be enjoyed by the wider community. The government also continues to add value to the economy, especially strengthening entrepreneurship, MSMEs and cooperatives. He hopes that this book will increase the knowledge of academics, policy makers and students to monitor, evaluate and know policies in the MSME sector.

In this activity, books were also handed over to faculty leaders by the Deputy for Macro and Finance Coordination, followed by a review of the exhibition booth. This was followed by a Book Review by three speakers, namely Thasya Pauline, SE.,MSE (Policy Analyst of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs-External Sector), Gede Edy Prasetya, SE.,MM (Assistant to Deputy for Capital Markets and Financial Institutions of the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy) and Dr. . I Gede Kajeng Baskara, SE., Ak., MM (Vice Dean of FEB Unud).