BRI Helps Small Entrepreneurs From West Java Free From Moneylenders

JAKARTA PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk. (BRI) is said to have empowered ultramicro business actors so that they can increase their business capacity through formal access to financing. This was proven directly by Ai Pidawati (41), a mother of two who is a customer of BRI and is able to raise the family economy.

It was stated that Ai was a migrant from Tasikmalaya, West Java who lived in Jakarta. He has a credit sales business around Guntur Village, Setiabudi District, South Jakarta. Since 2015, he has turned out to be a good selling agent or known as Agent BRILink. Thanks to his persistence and ability to maintain trust, Ai has been offered and became an UMi Agent since last year.

"I am a BRILink agent, from 2015 it has been more than 7 years. At that time I was appointed, I was offered by the Head of the BRI Guntur Tanah Abang Unit. Because many customers transact through me and I am considered a mandate, I was offered to be an UMi agent last year," he said as reported by the BRI website on Wednesday, April 26.

Previously, Ai had doubts to take advantage of BRI's financing facilities for fear of bad credit. However, this doubt slowly disappears when he himself has succeeded in fulfilling his obligations and can also help others by becoming Umi's Agent.

"I feel that UMi credit benefits can keep micro-enterprises away from moneylender snares," he said.

Responding to this, BRI Corporate Secretary Aestika Oryza Gunarto said that his party had provided various financial facilities in accordance with government regulations, such as small business loans to People's Business Credit (KUR).

"We want to help small entrepreneurs in developing businesses as well as pave the way for those who want to contribute to the economic development of the community," he said.

Aestika hopes that more people will be involved in efforts to expand financial literacy and financial inclusion.

"We are proud to be able to bring people's sector entrepreneurs to be able to advance to class and develop their business," he said.

VOI noted, at the end of 2022 the proportion of MSME loans owned by the government continued to increase to 84.74 percent of the total disbursed funds amounting to Rp1,139.08 trillion.

Meanwhile, the growth of microcredit which reached double digits was driven by the success of BRI Group in integrating 34 million micro and ultra micro customers who are members of Ultra Micro Holding.