Praise BRI's Way Of Embrace MSMEs, Jokowi: Previously Moneylenders Managed

President Joko Widodo. (Photo: Screenshot)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) praised PT Bank Raykat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or Bank BRI in an effort to free people from the snares of moneylenders. Because previously there were still many people who could not access formal finance.

Jokowi said BRI succeeded in implementing the digital banking concept and touching the community to the lower levels through 740,000 BRILink agents.

Quoted from BRI's official website, BRILink is an expansion of services from Bank BRI. Where BRI collaborates with BRI customers as agents who can serve banking transactions for their customers. Through BRILink agents, the public does not need to come to banks to carry out various banking transactions.

"Taking care of small matters that were previously handled by moneylenders and managed by retail banks everywhere, is now being taken over by BRI. This is also what we must appreciate," he said at the BRI Microfinance Outlook 2024 event, in Jakarta, Thursday, March 7.

Furthermore, Jokowi said that 740,000 BRILink agents are not small amounts. In fact, it can record transactions of up to IDR 1,400 trillion every year.

"I'm happy that what Mr. Director of BRI said earlier that digital banking downstream really runs at BRI. Imagine managing 740,000 BRILink stalls, BRILink agents are not an easy thing with transactions every year, Mr. President Director conveyed Rp1,400 trillion," he said.

Jokowi said BRI through Ultra Micro Holding or UMI managed to print customers up to 8.2 million and provide credit to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of IDR 10 million.

Meanwhile, PNM Mekaar can provide a maximum credit of IDR 25 million and has 15.2 million customers. Meanwhile, KUR can provide loans of up to IDR 500 million and has 16 million customers.

"Earlier at UMI the customer was 8.2 million, at PNM Mekaar the customer has 15.2 million, I remember PMN Mekaar in 2015, only 400,000 customers, now it has reached 15.2 million. Grameen Bank Mr. Muhammad Yunus received a nobelue because Grameen Bank has a customer of 6.5 million. This should have been the President Director Sunarso given the nobel should," he said.