Medan - The North Sumatra Provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Sumut) has empowered dozens of traditional herbal medicine (jamu) vendors through a Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development program. The initiative, titled Kampung Jamu, was launched in Mabar Hilir, Medan City, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

Firsal Dida Mutyara, Chairman of Kadin North Sumatra, stated that the program represents a concrete effort by Kadin Indonesia particularly the North Sumatra chapter to support the growth of small and micro businesses.

“As part of a national directive, Kadin Indonesia mandates every provincial Kadin office to foster MSMEs in collaboration with major local businesses,” said Firsal, who is commonly known as Dida.

He explained that through the Kampung Jamu program, Kadin North Sumatra has set up herbal medicine outlets in several strategic locations including factory premises and residential areas—and has also provided working capital to participating jamu vendors.

Among the designated sales locations are PT Industri Karet Deli (IKD) on Jalan Kom Yos Sudarso, PT Inno Wangsa on Jalan MG Manurung in Timbang Deli Medan Amplas, and the Cemara Asri Residential Complex.

According to Dida, these herbal stalls aim to serve communities in need of natural health and wellness products.

“At the IKD tire factory, for instance, there are thousands of workers operating in multiple shifts. Many of them regularly consume jamu to maintain their stamina. To meet this demand, Kadin North Sumatra has arranged for jamu vendors to open outlets based on the factory’s shift schedule,” Dida explained.

Regarding the selection process for Kampung Jamu participants in Mabar Hilir, Dida stated that the recruitment was carried out in stages. Prospective vendors were invited to the Kadin Sumut Secretariat and received training from certified instructors.

“The training process helped us identify those who were genuinely interested and committed to the program, and these individuals were ultimately selected as participants,” he said.

The program was initiated by Martono Anggusti, Deputy Chairman for Environmental Affairs at Kadin North Sumatra, along with various Standing Committee Chairpersons within that sector. It has also garnered attention from Kadin Indonesia at the national level.

“We are pleased that this program has attracted the interest of Kadin Indonesia and has the potential to be implemented nationally,” Dida said.

He shared that Kampung Jamu Mabar Hilir originated from an environmental campaign in the area, which was attended by Kadin North Sumatra. During the event, it was discovered that many traditional jamu vendors were in need of business development and marketing support.

In addition to MSME development, Kadin North Sumatra is actively exploring international business partnerships with foreign investors interested in Indonesia, particularly in the North Sumatra region.

Dida also mentioned that Kadin North Sumatra recently facilitated a business matching session with a leading motorcycle tire manufacturer from China. Additionally, the organization is currently involved in establishing a rubber industrial zone as part of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) cooperation framework.

“Through this program, North Sumatra has designated the Sei Mangkei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as a hub for an integrated rubber industrial area, while the two partner countries Malaysia and Thailand have designated Kedah and Songkhla respectively,” Dida concluded.