REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SLEMAN -- The district administration of Sleman, Yogyakarta province, is currently preparing the industrial and commercial sectors to welcome the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in order to compete in the free market era.

"The Sleman district administration is preparing businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)," the development affairs assistant to Sleman District administration Suyamsih, said here on Monday.

According to her, the district administration has undertaken a concrete program to conduct workshops for small and medium businesses to let them gain a better insight into the AEC, its challenges and opportunities.

"With such training, it is expected that businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, can develop a strategy in product marketing and management to build themselves better," she said.

Suyamsih said the number of industrial businesses in Sleman in 2014 was 16,088 units, of which 15,944 were small and household industries, and 144 large and medium industries.

"In 2014, Sleman had 403 trade facilities, comprising local administration market, rural market, animal market and modern shops," she noted, adding that the number of trading businesses were 13,928 units.

Sleman is heavily agrarian. Due to the ash falling from Mount Merapi and availability of easy irrigation facilities, the land in Sleman is very fertile.

The soil is thick, with a favorable moisture capacity level. As such, rice yields are considerably high. The area is also well known for its production of salak pondoh fruit (thorny palm), which is also its official plant.

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