The Trade Ministry will involve university students in revitalizing traditional markets across Indonesia, an official has said.
“Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the country has 16,235 traditional markets. Of the total, only 46 traditional markets have applied SNI (Indonesian National Standards),” director general of domestic trade at the Trade Ministry, Oke Nirwan, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
One of the main obstacles to the revitalization of traditional markets is a lack of knowledge on the part of traders and market operators on applying market digitalization, he noted.
Another obstacle is related to the effort to improve the capacity of human resources, particularly traders, at traditional markets in a sustainable and comprehensive way, he added.
On its part, the Trade Ministry is teaming up with the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry to involve university students in a program called Young Motivators of Traditional Markets, he informed.
The program has been designed so university students can apply their knowledge and empower traditional markets in a concrete way, he said.
“There will be three internship activities in this program related to the application of SNI in traditional markets, the application of digitalization in traditional markets, and the improvement of traders’ capacity through the so-called Market School,” he added.
In the first stage, internships will be carried out at 61 traditional markets in 15 districts and cities, he informed. University students will receive comprehensive training, work induction in a traditional market environment, and internship certificates from the Trade Ministry, he said.
The program is expected to improve digital literacy among traders so that traditional markets can meet SNI criteria and traders and market operators can improve their capacity as well as build awareness, he added.
“Traditional markets need university students’ touch because only a few of them meet the required standards,” he explained.
Source: Antara News