Jakarta, April 22 -- The Indonesian government is aiming to support the growth of businesses owned by prisoners by integrating them into the national micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) ecosystem.

Speaking at the Indonesian Prison Product and Art (IPPA) Festival in Jakarta on Monday, Minister of Cooperatives and MSMEs Maman Abdurrahman announced that several initiatives have been planned to support this effort, including the formation of a dedicated working group.

In a statement issued by his office on Tuesday, the minister said the working group will advocate for amendments to Law No. 20 of 2008 on MSMEs to allow certain convict-run businesses to gain official recognition as MSMEs.

"This initiative reflects our genuine concern ...