Let’s Buy Domestic Products, President Jokowi Says
President Jokowi talks with an entrepreneur during the launching of the #BanggaBuatanIndonesia (be proud of the Indonesian products) National Movement, Thursday (14/5) via teleconference. Photo by: Rahmat/PR
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the handling of COVID-19 pandemic, and invited communities to support each other.
“Help our neighbors and our families, maintain self-discipline, comply with health protocols, show care to our neighbors, buy products of small businesses, micro-businesses, and ultra-micro businesses, as well as buy our domestic products,” the President said during the launching of the #BanggaBuatanIndonesia (be proud of the Indonesian products) National Movement, Thursday (14/5) via teleconference.
On the occasion, the President also talked with entrepreneurs, including I Ketut Gede Artawo and Wayan Mary (producers of wooden handicraft products from Bali Province) and Dea Valencia (a batik producer from Central Java Province).
The President advised I Ketut Gede Artawo and Wayan Mary to use digital platform and sell some of the products online to increase the selling.
In the meantime, Dea Valencia said that at the beginning (of the pandemic) she had no idea how to save the business and save her 100 employees, 50 percent of which are persons with disabilities.
“In early March, when I heard from my husband about the scarcity of medical masks, we started to produce cloth face masks. As of today, 100,000 cloth face masks have been produced and sold through e-commerce platforms and also distributed free of charge to daily workers who need them,” Dea said, adding that last week she launched a new series under the Kultur Mask brand and the stock was sold in less than 24 hours through e-commerce platforms.
The President further said that Dea’s efforts could be emulated by others in terms of using digital platforms to sell products and diversifying the products. (TGH/EN)
Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani
