Pertamina SMEXPO Provides Positive Impacts for Ilham Bahari's MSMEs

Jakarta, September 28, 2021 – Pertamina SMEXPO 2020 had provided positive impacts for the participants. The woven fabric entrepreneur from Palembang, South Sumatra, Ilham Bahari admitted that he had gained much valuable knowledge after participating in Pertamina SMEXPO 2020.

"We had received many impacts while participating in SMEXPO last year. One of the things I appreciate is mentors," he said. In addition, Ilham also received detailed assistance from curators. "This spurs us to be even better," he added.

Ilham said that the curators corrected every detail of the shortcomings of MSMEs. "But not only correcting, but the curators also provide solutions for these shortcomings," he said.

According to Ilham, what sets SMEXPO apart from other exhibitions that he had participated, is that SMEXPO teaches entrepreneurs to describe its products to potential buyers. "There are not only domestic buyers, but also buyers who come from abroad, such as the European continent. Without participating in SMEXPO, this will be very difficult for us to obtain," he said.

In addition, continued Ilham, he had received assistance in managing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for their products during SMEXPO. "We are one hundred percent assisted in the management of IPR as a way of patenting products from Pertamina's partner SMEs. Thus, our products will not be plagiarized by others, and we are ready to compete in the national and international arenas," said Ilham.

Meanwhile, Acting Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Pertamina, Fajriyah Usman, said Pertamina SMEXPO 2021 would continue to prepare programs that support Fostered MSMEs so that they can better adapt. Pertamina also wishes to collaborate with them so they can participate in the SMEXPO marketplace.

In the Pertamina SMEXPO 2021 marketplace, Fajriyah continued, MSME can find thousands of quality MSME products, original creations of the nation's children. Similar to Pertamina SMEXPO last year, the SMEs involved are divided into several categories. There are categories of Food and Beverage, Clothing, Furniture, Crafts, Agrobusiness, and Wholesale Products.

Fajriyah revealed, with "Berani Keren Se Indonesia (Dare to be Cool in Indonesia)" as the tagline for Pertamina SMEXPO 2021, it is hoped that it can raise the support for Indonesian MSMEs by looking cool using MSME products. "If we do not love our own country's products, who else?" she said.**