Use Of Credit Scoring For MSMEs Is Still Minimal, Teten Ngadu To OJK Bosses And Minister Of Finance

Menkop UKM Teten Masduki (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki admitted that he had spoken to the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani about the credit scoring scheme or credit scoring assessment.

The credit scoring is one of the efforts of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) to encourage the integration of the credit scoring model to MSME players. So, it is easier to get access to financing.

"Alhamdulillah, the credit scoring development is good. Yesterday, we spoke with the Minister of Finance, talking with the OJK. And at the OJK, infrastructure or policies are also being prepared that allow credit scoring to be carried out," said Teten when opening the Indonesia Clothing Summit 2024 event at the Smesco Indonesia Building, Jakarta, Thursday, August 1.

Teten did not deny that in practice itself, several banks have started implementing the scheme.

"In practice, banks have also started to use scoring credit. (Even though) it is still on a small scale," he said.

He is very optimistic that with the implementation of credit scoring, MSMEs will get easier access to financing in the future.

"I am optimistic that with credit scoring. This means that there is alternative data outside the historical credit data, it can be more and more MSMEs that actually meet the requirements to receive bank credit," said Teten.

He hopes that credit scoring will become one of the financing innovations for Indonesian MSME players. Given that this financing scheme has been implemented in 145 countries.

"We are optimistic that this has been used in 145 countries. However, MSMEs must have started digital recording as well. I can easily track digital records regarding business health," he added.

Previously, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) realized that the implementation of the distribution of people's business loans (KUR) was still not optimal. Therefore, the government will implement three strategies so that the distribution of KUR can provide a driving force for the performance of the national economy.

In 2023, the government targets the distribution of KUR of IDR 297 trillion. However, only IDR 260.26 trillion was distributed to 4.64 million debtors.

"Last year, KUR did not reach the target. We have seen symptoms, stagnation in the distribution of KUR. Therefore, breakthroughs are needed," said Expert Staff for Inter-Institutional Relations of the Ministry of Cooperatives at SMEs Riza Damanik in the 2024 Journalists Orientation in Bogor, West Java, Thursday, May 16.

Riza said, at least three things can be done to encourage the realization of KUR distribution. First, encourage the implementation of the credit scoring system.

Second, take a cluster KUR approach. Currently, as many as 39 clusters have been developed and integrated in the implementation of KUR clusters. In the future, KUR debtors who are considered to have similarities will be aggregated in one cluster.

"For example, a souvenir cluster. So this souvenir cluster becomes a part of cheap financing. So, later the engagement will be much bigger than people," he said.

Third, a breakthrough with a hybrid method. Especially in development related to the corporatization of farmers and fishermen. For example, the Al It-tikaq Islamic Boarding School Cooperative in Ciwidey Bandung which accommodates and consolidates around 1,200 vegetable farmers.