SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The Indonesia-based digital wallet company DANA, in collaboration with Singapore-based company Ant International, has launched the SisBerdaya and DisBerdaya for year 2025 in Jakarta, on Wednesday (5/7).

Held for the third time since 2023, this program provides an opportunity for women and women with disabilities who own MSMEs, to develop their businesses.

According to the company's internal survey, 74 percent of women-owned MSMEs struggle to access markets, 57 percent face difficulties in improving their skills, and 51 percent also have trouble building networks.

To address these challenges, DANA is committed to provide training and mentoring, particularly in product marketing and the use of AI technology, so that women-owned MSMEs can innovate, and enhance their competitiveness.

"We also continue to adopt technology, such as AI, to ensure an increasingly satisfying transaction experience for users. That’s why we’re also providing AI-related training to all the women here, so they can adapt to today’s technological developments and eventually benefit from them in their businesses." Said Vincent Iswara, CEO of DANA Indonesia.

According to data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs of the Republic of Indonesia, there were 65 million registered MSMEs across Indonesia in 2024, accounting for 97 percent of the workforce, with 60 percent of them owned by women.

Based on this data, the company hopes to attract 5,000 women-owned MSMEs to register and participate in the 2025 cycle of the SisBerdaya and DisBerdaya programs.

Out of that number, 180 selected participants will take part in online training and mentoring programs from their respective regions. Then, 30 participants with the best proposals will become finalists and receive exclusive in-person mentoring in Jakarta.

Later, these finalists will showcase their work and business potential in front of a panel of judges during the Grand Final event this coming August, with the chance to win prizes totaling up to 750 million rupiah.

“There is tremendous potential in targeting this group of women to receive assistance and support in the form of access to capital and more, so they can scale their businesses further. By providing access to the latest technologies, including AI, we hope the participants can enhance their businesses. This will strengthen business resilience, open up more opportunities in global markets, and make a meaningful contribution to the local economy,” said Wilson Siahaan, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Development for Indonesia and the Philippines at Ant International.

Bank Indonesia, welcomes the SisBerdaya and DisBerdaya 2025 programs, and willing to provide full support for their continuation, particularly in enhancing financial literacy and inclusion among participating women.

The central bank also emphasized the importance of implementing digital transformation for MSME owners to boost their competitiveness and resilience in the face of global uncertainty.

“Digitalization is the key to transforming MSMEs to increase their competitiveness and business resilience amid rapid changes in today’s world. The use of technology, from online marketing to payment systems, has proven to improve efficiency, expand market reach, and open up new opportunities for business growth,” said Sri Noerhidajati, Deputy Director of the Inclusive and Green Finance Department at Bank Indonesia.

Bank Indonesia also plans to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders and policymakers, as this program aligns with the Indonesian government’s Asta Cita initiative, which aims to achieve 8 percent economic growth in the country. (NMR)

Reporter: Nugrahanto Margo Raharjo