Impressive, Mayor of Mojokerto Holds Culinary Workshop to Revive Local SMEs

Kapanlagi.com - The pandemic has weakened all sectors, including the economy. This certainly makes people desperate.

However, Mayor of Mojokerto, Ika Puspitasari, has a clever way to revive the optimism of the residents. Through the relevant agencies, the Mayor of Mojokerto distributes assistance in the form of business capital and culinary workshops to boost the economy of the residents.

Ning Ita and her team coordinate with the Cooperative Agency, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) Agency, and the Industry and Trade Agency of Mojokerto City to provide business training and capital assistance. Like the Entrepreneurship Incubation in Cake Making, which was opened by Ning Ita on Monday, (29/3) at the Surodinawan Footwear Workshop. On the same day, Ning Ita also opened a Cooking Training for Micro Businesses in the Pendopo Blooto Village.

Acting Head of the Industry and Trade Agency, Ani Wijaya, said that providing business training, especially entrepreneurship incubation, is the government's effort in the economic recovery affected by COVID-19.

"The second is to provide stimulus to cultivate new entrepreneurs and the third is certainly to support the improvement of the economy of Mojokerto City," said Ani.

Ani also added that the selection of participants for the entrepreneurship incubation is based on a business interest survey conducted by the Social Affairs, Women Empowerment, and Child Protection Agency (Dinsos & P3A). This survey has been conducted since last year and each participant's interest has been reconfirmed.

Furthermore, Ani said that the entrepreneurship incubation in cake making has 450 interested participants, but in the first phase, it is followed by 50 participants from the Meri Village and Kendudung Village.

"The mentoring will be carried out for approximately 6 months, so it must be ensured that all participants truly have the intention and determination to participate in the incubation, because the output or goal to be achieved is not just completing the training, but truly wanting to produce new entrepreneurs," added Ani.

In addition, Mayor Ning Ita also stated that this entrepreneurship training is like giving a fishing rod and teaching people how to fish.

"With this, you are not only given social assistance, but also given the skills to make delicious cakes, cakes that can be sold, cakes that can compete with the many cakes already circulating," added Ning Ita.

Ning Ita is keen to see that Mojokerto City has high potential in the culinary field. This is proven by the increasing number of culinary businesses that have flourished during the pandemic.

"This potential is what I want to be sold by residents of Mojokerto, not residents from outside the city," said Ning Ita firmly.

This high potential is being exploited by Ning Ita and the government of Mojokerto City to facilitate the marketing of MSME products on a large scale.

"In the future, when the potential of Mojokerto City continues to develop, with the construction of new tourist attractions such as the Sekar Sari Swimming Pool, Mojopahit Marine Tourism in Rejoto, Benpas Market, Gunung Gedangan Rest Area, these products can become the destination for people who come to Mojokerto," added Ning Ita.

Not forgetting, Ning Ita reminded the participants of the training, who are mostly women, not to lose spirit in facing tough competition in the culinary sector.

"If you continue to sharpen your skills and are facilitated by the government with training and business capital, then you must believe that the products you produce can compete with other cakes that already exist," concluded Ning Ita.

For your information, this cooking training for micro entrepreneurs is presented by guest chefs Pramu Wibawanto and Moch. Hasyim, who is a chef at Grand Dafam Surabaya Hotel. Meanwhile, for business incubation in the field of cake making, Diskoumperindag collaborates with the Training and Job Placement Agency, Martha Anugerahani, and chef Masruchin from PT Federal Food Internusa.

(kpl/jef)