Pustaka Ilmiah Universitas Padjadjaran

Abstrak

Empowering The Tourism And Small And Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) SECTORS Potentialities In Ranah Minang, Solok District, West Sumatera

The enactment of Local Autonomy-based governmental system requires each locality to explore and develop their respective existing potentialities. Solok is one of districts in West Sumatera generally well known for it’s rice production, the Bareh Solok. In addition to it’s rice, there are many more potentialities of Solok District which still could be explored and developed, such as, among others, tourism sector and varieties of products produced by Household Business units under small and medium scale business settings. These potentialities, however, have not been fully explored and many of tourism sector’s potentialities have not been well managed to the extent thet they have not significantly contributed to local income of Solok District. It was widely known that most of West Sumatera population, especially Solok District population, left their homelands and traveled to Java Island, and many of them departed to Malaysia, either to obtain knowledge or doing businesses. The general phenomenon faced by Solok District Government requires viable solution. What potentialities could be explored in Solok District, how we empower the existing tourism and SME potentialities of Solok District, how we could improve the quality of the (remaining) existing human resources of Solok District and how we could appeal the overseas, successful Solok District origin ‘wanderers’ to participate and have willingness to develop their beloved homeland. To improve the quality of human resources living in their homeland, the overseas inhabitants should pay their attention and cares, in close cooperation with local government, to provide the required infrastructures and facilities, either in form of hardware or software. In conjunction with the effort to draw the attention, Gerakan Ekonomi dan Budaya Minangkabau (GEBU MINANG) has been established, and by August 30P, 2006 one of GEBU MINANG leading programs has been set, i.e., Dana Abadi Minang International (DAMI), as a cooperation between GEBU MINANG and Bank Nagari. It is expected that the re-empowerment of Ranah Minang tourism and SME sectors, particularly Solok District, would be able to improve and revive the economy, education, prosperity and culture of Ranah Minang, and attract domestic andforeign tourists and investors.