Successful in Developing Resilient Entrepreneurs, Minister Teten Appreciates Pertamina's UMK Academy Program

Jakarta, August 30, 2024 - PT Pertamina (Persero) has launched the national scale UMK Academy 2024. The program, with the tagline "Provide New Energy, Towards Advanced UMK," is expected to drive micro and small enterprises (UMK) to grow and advance more rapidly, even to the international level.

The national-scale Pertamina UMK Academy 2024 is a continuation of the regional program. At the regional level, out of 8,500 registrants, approximately 1,686 UMKs participated in the program. 523 UMKs qualified for the national level.

The Indonesian Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, appreciated the implementation of the Pertamina UMK Academy, as it follows the government program to encourage UMKs to become more competitive and continue to grow. This program, which has been running since 2020, also successfully elevated UMKs to a higher level.

"Thank you to Pertamina for its significant contribution in supporting the UMKs and the national economy growth," said Teten at the launch of the Pertamina UMK Academy 2024 National, held virtually on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

Teten noted that UMKs play a crucial role in Indonesia's economy as job providers, contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP), including exports. Therefore, support for UMKs is essential.

"I extend my highest appreciation to Pertamina, which has fostered over 66,000 partner UMKs since 1993. It demonstrates an extraordinary dedication to improving the people's economy," Teten said.

Corporate Secretary of Pertamina, Brahmantya Satyamurti Poerwadi, stated that the Pertamina UMK Academy is part of Pertamina's Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program. This initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 8 to provide decent work and support economic growth.

The Pertamina UMK Academy's main objective is to guide UMKs in advancing their business. It aims to expand product reach, enhance business knowledge in online marketing, and provide entrepreneurship skills to create resilient UMKs.

"We hope that the participants of the UMK Academy will achieve greater success, including increasing the number of employees, production capacity, and turnover, while involving more local communities, as well as obtaining national and international certifications and marketing products outside the region, even abroad," he expressed.

Similarly, Vice President of Corporate Communication of Pertamina, Fadjar Djoko Santoso, added that the UMK Academy, which is Pertamina's annual program, is expected to positively impact UMK business development thus benefiting society more broadly. "Pertamina is committed to helping UMKs advance, as these entrepreneurs can ultimately drive economic growth locally and nationally," Fadjar explained.

Pipin Fitria, the owner of Mutiara Gitbay, expressed her gratitude for being a selected participant in the national scale Pertamina UMK Academy 2024. She plans to use this opportunity to gain more knowledge so her business can grow.

"This is a rare opportunity, as I can receive one-on-one coaching from experienced mentors," she said.

Pipin began her business journey ten years ago by utilizing the local potential of Lombok's sea pearls. She sells jewelry items with her flagship products, such as tied sea pearls, silver, and gold. Pipin also involved local housewives in the production process.

The national scale Pertamina UMK Academy will run until the end of December 2024, divided into four classes: Go Modern, Go Online, Go Digital, and Go Global. Besides receiving mentoring, training, and certification, selected participants will have the chance to participate in exhibitions.

At the end of the program, champions will be selected to receive technology grants for appropriate production tools, with a total value of hundreds of millions of rupiah.

For further coaching from the Pertamina UMK Academy program, the Pertapreneur Aggregator will be implemented. It is a collaborative program where trained UMKs mentor other UMKs by building collaborative networks among UMKs in their vicinity.

Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations.**