Pertamina Encourages MSMEs to Upgrade, See Pertamina's Fostered Story on Empowering Women through Tangan Terampil Community

Jakarta, November 19, 2020 - PT Pertamina (Persero), through its Partnership Program, has implemented a tiered development roadmap for each of its assisted MSMEs. Starting from the conditions of traditional MSMEs, becoming Go Modern, Go Digital, Go Online, to penetrate the international market to Go Global. The goal is for these MSMEs to be upgraded to become superior and independent small and medium enterprises.

Bernandette Natalia Sari Pujiastuti, Pertamina's fostered partner, owns Trasty Handicraft MSME. The figure, which is often called Naneth, started the business in 2012 with the initial intention to help develop local bag artisans who only produced low-quality bags. Naneth realized, with an attractive design, mix, and match with unusual materials; batik patchwork will have a better selling price.

Something is interesting about the business that Naneth started. In running her business, she empowers a group, which she calls the Tangan Terampil Community. All members of the community that produces Trasty are women. Empowering women to be more skilled and independent is one of the goals of establishing this MSME.

"Women who work and can get additional income for their families, I believe, will have a positive impact," said Naneth.

Apart from training mothers to make quality crafts, Naneth also provides motivation and assistance to be more independent, productive, and confident. These women may later open their own businesses so that job opportunities will be more wide open. In the Tangan Terampil Community itself, dozens of mothers have joined to make beautiful crafts and souvenirs.

"Entrepreneurial mothers will encourage women to work without neglecting their duties and responsibilities as mothers," said the recipient of the 2018 Pertamina Local Heroes award.

As a Pertamina's Fostered MSMEs, Trasty Souvenir has received several mentoring programs in the form of capital loans, training, and marketing development, which are carried out, among others, through exhibitions at home and abroad. Naneth admitted that these exhibitions brought her together with several buyers who have become permanent buyers. These opportunities, according to her, helped Trasty Souvenir to upgrade.

Trasty regularly gets orders from both private and government agencies. Trasty has also participated in an exhibition in Malaysia. The products themselves can be found at the A. Yani Airport UMKM Gallery Semarang and the Semarang Old City UMKM Gallery and social media such as Instagram and Facebook @trastysouvenir.

Acting Vice President of Corporate Communication of Pertamina, Heppy Wulansari, added that all Pertamina fostered partners will receive similar guidance to Naneth. They will be nurtured to upgrade with parameters of having a business license and related certification and an increase in turnover and labor. "By upgrading the MSME class, it is hoped that they can be independent and participate in supporting the nation's economic independence," she said.

Pertamina also appreciates the sociopreneur-based efforts undertaken and encourages other MSMEs to implement the same thing to provide jobs and help economic independence. "This is an implementation of the Goal 8 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hopefully, it can help people get jobs and encourage national economic growth, "concluded Heppy.**