REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By Nasihin Masha
Erie Sasmita is not a son of a rich man. His father retired from Indonesia's Navy with his latest rank of Major. He's the second of five children. He got his bachelor degree in agriculture. After graduation he went to work as a pharmaceutical marketing. But the next job in cargo shipping company determines his future life. Here, he became acquainted with a U.S. citizen who became buyers agent for furniture; people who routinely deal to ship out products from Indonesia. Erie quitted his former job and work for new boss. But it's only a year. In 1999, the young boy, who born in Semarang 1968, then founded his own furniture company.
Following footsteps of his boss, he becomes a new buyer agent. A year later he had his own factory. In 2013, he even acquired a furniture factory in Jepara. Now, he has 120 employees. His turnover reached three million USD per year. He exported his products to U.S., Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and South Africa.
For him, his way of life is something extraordinary. Although it's only on SMEs level, he has become an entrepreneur. Being a seller of cards in his elementary school and sandal seller in his college days, to become a businessman is something outside his expectation. He did not come from a wealthy family. That's why, he want to share his experience. He wrote a book about his experiences and strategies. His book is simple: 'Employee Turned Employer'. Sometimes, he feels amused by the title. He seems so arrogant. But Erie is worth of being conceited. Currently, number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is still very few. Sandiaga S Uno has ever said number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is only 0.18 percent of the total population. Hatta Rajasa, Coordinating Minister for the Economy, said 2.5 percent. But to move a country it needs a minimum of 5 percent. In 2003, in China there was 5.5 percent. While in India there was 12.5 percent. In the U.S. there was 26.85 percent. No need to wonder if entrepreneurs class in Indonesia is a super high class. Their number is still too low.
The small number of entrepreneurs is actually a great opportunity for anyone, especially younger generation. It's understood, the average age of Indonesia's population is 27.2 years. Productive age population of 15-39 years old are also very high; 42.3 percent. Chances for new growth also appeared on our 2013 state budget of Rp 1,683 trillion. In era of Soeharto's resignation and the collapsed of New Order authoritarian regime, our budget numbers was below Rp 300 trillion. The rise of state budget in reform era is a real opportunity to do business. That means there is a large expenditure through salaries, bureaucratic operations, and capital expenditure -except to pay debt. This is shown by the value of our GDP which reached 845 billion U.S. dollars.
The rise of our budget numbers, associated with the reform period, when all the opportunities to be open to anyone. We witnessed the malls are always full with consumers. Even our best airport is, now, look like an old bus terminal, crowded. It shows very dynamic population mobility. It's only a feature of our progress.
Erie is a person who can enjoy momentum of changes. Of course there are many other Erie's in SMEs level in Indonesia. There are employers in a variety of business sectors. At national level, we are witnessing the emergence of new conglomerates (tycoons, ed) such as Chairul, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Sandiaga S Uno, Wisnu Wardana, Erick and Boy Thohir, and so on. They are new names in the world of Indonesian conglomerates.
A push to the birth of new entrepreneur is a requirement for national sustainability and growth momentum. Without equal distribution of wealth, Indonesia's future is under threat. Our Gini Index figures have reached the largest ratio in the history of Indonesia, 0.44. This means there is an inequality. Based on the data, there are only 120 individuals in Indonesia who are too dominant to control our economic pies. This is very dangerous. But we cannot blame them. It's the responsibility of all of us, especially the government and parliament. If all these were allowed [to continue, ed], we can get stuck in conflicts. This economic concentration is in tandem with politics like a political oligarchy and political dynasty, as also paralleled with the increasing consolidation of gangster organizations. We have to prevent them moving into an even worse situation. One way out is to support the new born entrepreneurs to ensure equality of wealth distribution.
Government, recently, held a special meeting to discuss an ease of doing business. From there, it was born a package of business policy, such as a better taxation, licensing, and credit. According to the recently released World Bank data, Tuesday, Indonesia was ranked 120th out of 189 countries on ease of doing business. The figure is very alarming. This is certainly due to the performance of the government. For example, during the period 2004-2009, the government had even acted wickedly devastating rattan furniture business. Indonesia is producing about 80 percent of rattan in the world. But China and Vietnam are enjoying it. Bob Hasan and Rini M Soemarno hard work, as the then minister of commerce, which prohibits the export of rattan, have gone in vain. China now has reserves of rattan to tens of years. Indonesian furniture makers, now, become migrant workers who worked in Vietnam and China's rattan factory. The reason is; that the rattan handicraft is typically Indonesian.
Cursing and hoping for government will not have impacts. One of the characteristics of entrepreneurs is their resilient and always eager to find their own path. Any obstacle can be solved. It's better to keep motivating yourself. To be an entrepreneur, except for making himself richer, one could contribute to save the future of Indonesia, to be a patriot. Did not the Messenger PBUH say that the noblest profession is to become an entrepreneur? Erie has been proved it.
If all goes according to plans and expectations, stability and economic growth in Indonesia will be consistent until 2030's, when Indonesia has been being the seventh power of the world in term of economy. After that, it will slow gradually, according to cycle rotation. The current era was a golden period of Indonesian history. Today, lot of entrepreneurs will be born, who will determine the future structure of the Indonesian elite. Let's say there will be 10 per cent or 5 per cent of employers, and if the population was 300 million in 2030, then at that time there will be 30 million or 15 million employers. If the current number of entrepreneurs is 6 million people (2.5 percent of the total population) then there is a chance to produce 24 million or 9 million new entrepreneurs. Similar momentums like today do not come every time. Be the star chaser, be not the watchman for Godot.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika