Making Students (Become) Exporters

The movement to create 500,000 new exporters is not only targeting SMEs, but also Indonesian students at home and abroad.

KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN

Various food products from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were offered at the Indonesia Halal Business and Food Expo 2014 exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center on Friday (December 19th, 2014).

The movement to create 500,000 new Indonesian exporters by 2030 continues. The driving "machines" continue to emerge, such as Export Schools and Export Can Communities which were initiated in 2020. The targets are now not only small businesses and secondary school, but also Indonesian students at home and abroad.

This effort is in order to achieve the target of increasing exports towards a Golden Indonesia 2045. In 2045, Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports are expected to reach 900 billion US dollars or grow from 1.2 percent in 2022 to 2. 2 percent.

This effort also opens up opportunities for transitioning the way Indonesian diaspora students are exported abroad. From initially bringing a number of Indonesian products to sell in other countries (hand carry export) to selling them via e-commerce, establishing a small trading company, to collaborating with small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Fitrina Sheila (22), a student of Hayam Wuruk Perbanas University in Surabaya, East Java, recounted that by participating in the Export School, students can collaborate with SME players to market their SME products digitally to foreign countries. In addition, students are also taught how to process and package SME products to make them more attractive and meet the standards of other countries.

In fact, there are several students who have succeeded in establishing individual companies. Some of them are PT Ekspor Teratai Utama, PT Lulaby Project IDN, and PT Official Bykama Sejahtera (Kompasiana, 6/5/2024).

Also read: RI's Trade Strategy in the Year of the Wooden Dragon

Similar achievements have been made by the Bisa Ekspor Community that targets SMEs and the Generation Z. By the end of 2023, the community members have reached 1.3 million people from Generation Z. Out of that number, 4,000 individuals have successfully exported various Indonesian-made products.

"The average success rate is still low, around 0.3 percent, because there are still 99.7 percent of members who have not exported. But, from one person who can export, they can earn at least Rp 200 million per month," said CEO Bisa Ekspor Julio "Ekspor" Halim during the "Indonesia Maju" discussion, at the end of last year.

Also read: RI Trade Strategy in the Year of the Wooden Dragon

How do these movements continue to grow and develop in Indonesia? The movements that create new exporters emerge both individually and collaboratively.

The Bisa Ekspor Community emerged thanks to Julio's efforts to develop his business of selling coconut shell charcoal in the domestic market to the international market. After successfully exporting and establishing a coconut shell briquette company, he built the Bisa Ekspor Community.

Export School

A joint effort to train exporters was initiated by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the government in 2020. This movement resulted in the establishment of an Export School that was inaugurated in 2021. This movement is expected to create 500,000 new exporters from 2020 to 2030.

The movement that was initially aimed at SMEs continues to develop by targeting Indonesian students both domestically and abroad. Domestically, Export Schools cooperate with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology as well as several universities that hold the Merdeka Campus program.

Also read: Export Schools Encourage the Birth of New Entrepreneurs

KOMPAS/CYPRIANUS ANTO SAPTOWALYONO

Head of Export School, Handito Joewono

Students can participate in an independent study program that includes an internship and certificate from the Export School, called the Certified Independent Study and Internship Program (MSIB). The program can serve as a substitute for a course during one semester.

”I want universities to play more of a role in the international trade sector. "They can produce new exporters as well as research into developing Indonesian export products," said Head of the Export School Handito Joewono in an International Export Lecture with the theme "Export Speed: Speeding Up Indonesian Exports with Optimizing RCEP and Campus Resources" in Jakarta, Friday (3/5/ 2024).

I want universities to play a bigger role in the international trade sector. They can produce new exporters as well as research on developing Indonesia's export products.

As for overseas, the Export School has been collaborating with the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) Worldwide since 2023. Since they temporarily reside in other countries, they have the advantage of reading the potential market for Indonesian products in those countries. This can be further developed by turning them into new exporters.

The Export School is held online. The time difference is not a problem as the learning material is uploaded to the Export School platform of the PPI World in 65 countries.

The free school, which is held for a month, refers to eight learning modules that can be accessed through the platform. The modules are Export Research and Strategy, Product Development, Branding and Marketing, Business Matching, Payment and Documentation, Export Logistics, Cross Border Customs, andContinuous Improvement.

Also read: Mutual Cooperation Creates New Exporters

SUMBER: YOUTUBE NUUR TAUFIQOH

Ricky "Pepeng" Yakob, an Indonesian student and YouTuber in India, produces tempeh in India. Every week, he is able to make 60 packages of tempeh to be marketed to Indian and foreign students, as well as Indonesian diplomats serving in India.

Coordinator of PPI Dunia, Hamzah Assuudy Lubis, stated that PPI Dunia is making an effort to provide training that can facilitate Indonesian students abroad to learn about exporting for free. This way, students can make the most of it.

"We hope that this program can produce PPI World Export Ambassadors who can contribute to the Indonesian economy through exports," he said.

On April 18-20, 2024, for example, two alumni of the World Export School of PPI, Mufliha and Thareque Kareem, participated in the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in Cairo, Egypt. They promoted Indonesian longan and rambutan and also became World PPI Export Ambassadors at the exhibition.

Also read: The story of Indonesian tempe in the country "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai"

Sharing challenges

In the Export School, a number of export practitioners and policymakers will be brought in as teachers, both for participants inside and outside the country. Various challenges and international trade policies, both in Indonesia and globally, will also be presented.

It is important to note that the world is currently in an era of export restrictions, and the Indonesian Government is striving to enhance trade agreements with countries or regions. Both of these have implications for the emergence of several export-import requirements.

Sometimes, trade requirements can be beneficial, especially for countries that have established bilateral or multilateral partnerships. However, trade requirements can also often be complex and challenging as they must meet certain document requirements and adhere to a country's product standards.

Hand carryexport is starting to become difficult because there are restrictions on luggage and taxes or import duties in each country. In fact, as e-commerce develops, supervision and restrictions on the sale of imported products in a number of countries are tightened.

Also read: No Longer Restricted, Types of Goods Sent by Migrant Workers and Personal Luggage of Passengers

Looking at various challenges, Indonesian export candidates not only need export market intelligence. They also need a deeper understanding of international trade policies and related domestic regulations that continue to develop and change to adapt to the current situation.

Hopefully, through these movements, 500,000 new exporters can really be gradually generated until 2030. By doing so, the regeneration of Indonesian exporters can also continue to achieve the target of Indonesia's Golden Export by 2045.