Angkasa Pura

Soekarno-Hatta Airport Exhibits Bangka Belitung MSME Products, Including Global Pepper and Straws

AP II encourages airports to be more inclusive in order to provide benefits for all

Jakarta - Dozens of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from Bangka Belitung Province are displaying their products at the Nusantara Outlet Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport starting today, 2 February 2023 to 28 February 2023.

Around 35 MSME players from Bangka Belitung brought various original products from Bangka Belitung to be promoted at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which is the busiest airport in Indonesia.

One of the products from Bangka Belitung that has gone global and can now be found at the Nusantara Terminal 3 outlet is pepper and straw made from purun grass.

Pepper from Bangka Belitung has been known for a long time to have the best quality worldwide. Bangka Belitung is also the largest pepper-producing province, a spice that is nicknamed the King of Spice. Indonesia is also known as one of the largest pepper producing countries in the world.

Bangka Belitung is also known for having an authentic eco-friendly straw product made from purun grass that grows in the province.

The opening of Terminal 3 Nusantara outlets for Bangka Belitung MSMEs today was attended by the Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung Ridwan Djamaluddin, President Director of PT Angkasa Pura II Muhammad Awaluddin, Director of HR and Digital InJourney Herdy Harman, and HR Director of PT Timah Yennita.

The opening of the Nusantara Terminal 3 outlets for Bangka Belitung MSMEs also marks the start of a series of promotion and marketing programs for MSME products from various provinces at Nusantara Terminal 3 outlets throughout 2023.

AP II President Director Muhammad Awaluddin said MSME development required collaboration from various parties.

"To encourage the development of MSMEs, it is impossible not to collaborate. In February, Terminal 3 Nusantara Outlet displayed MSME and art products from Bangka Belitung where this program is also a form of collaboration between AP II, PT Timah and the Province of Bangka Belitung. In March, the Nusantara Terminal 3 outlet will display MSME products from Lampung. In the following months, we will meet MSMEs from other provinces," said Muhammad Awaluddin.

Furthermore, Muhammad Awaluddin said the presence of MSMEs at Soekarno-Hatta Airport was one of the efforts to encourage AP II airports to be accessible and useful for all.

"We want Soekarno-Hatta Airport to be not only a place for getting on and off the plane but also a place for community interaction. We want this airport to be inclusive and not exclusive," explained Muhammad Awaluddin.

Efforts to make airports more inclusive are in line with what the Minister of BUMN Erick Thohir emphasized, namely the importance of inclusive programs to encourage MSMEs to upgrade.

"We have to make sure that inclusive programs that encourage MSMEs to upgrade, can run sustainably. Because it is through MSMEs that are the backbone of the people's economy that we can also overcome the problems they face, so as to achieve an independent and sovereign Indonesia," said the Minister of BUMN.

Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung Ridwan Djamaluddin said the program at the Nusantara Outlet Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta Airport was the most helpful promotion program for Bangka Belitung MSMEs.

"This is a great activity. Here (Soekarno-Hatta Airport) is a crossing point for people with activities and we will take advantage of this good opportunity. At the same time supporting, we are not passive, but we are proactive in bringing food and dance groups here," said the Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung.

He added that this program is the result of a collaboration that has a good impact on the promotion of MSME products, as well as traditional arts practitioners.

“Traditional art is also interesting, it is an extraordinary cultural wealth. we keep it up, we prepare the stage. Especially expertise, the ability to reciprocate rhymes is extraordinary and requires intelligence, "said the Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung.

Airport as a tourism hub
In the same place, Director of HR and Digital InJourney Herdy Harman welcomed the collaboration between AP II, PT Timah and the Bangka Belitung Provincial Government which had encouraged the development of MSMEs.

Meanwhile, InJourney is a state-owned aviation and tourism holding company with one of its members being AP II.

"This is a very extraordinary activity, we from the ranks of InJourney welcome it and we fully support these activities," said Herdy Herman.

Herdy Herman said the program at Nusantara Terminal 3 in introducing MSME products from various provinces was a form of creativity to also encourage the growth of the tourism sector.

"Airports are no longer seen as a place to get on and off planes, but must become a tourism hub. We hope that in the future the airport will open spots for tourism hub activities, thinking about how the potential of an area can be raised, of course by coordinating with all stakeholders," explained Herdy Herman.