The Mayor Of Banda Aceh Has Proposed Caning For Loan Sharks

Illustration of flogging in Aceh (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Banda Aceh Aminullah Usman immediately proposed giving caning for loan sharks in Banda Aceh through a qanun (regional regulation).

"We will propose a qanun regarding the impossibility of conducting financial operations in Banda Aceh by loan sharks. So if they are found they will be punished with caning," said Aminullah Usman, quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 31.

Regarding this, said Aminullah, the draft qanun would soon be proposed to the Banda Aceh City People's Representative Council (DPRK), so that the prohibition of loan sharks has a legal basis.

"I have asked the Banda Aceh DPRK, we propose a qanun next year, thus it already has a legal basis, if now it is a non-regulatory prohibition," he said.

Aminullah emphasized that moneylenders' activities must indeed be cleared from Banda Aceh. Because according to him loan sharks never think about other people's wealth, but how to suck the blood of the poor.

"The moneylender work is how to suck the blood of the poor, the unemployed who cannot afford it. Therefore, in order to revive the MSME sector and reduce poverty, loan sharks must be eradicated," he said.

Aminullah explained, there are two types of loan sharks, first with an interest system which of course violates Islamic law because it is not in accordance with the Koran and hadith. Then, asking for high interest, resulting in the destruction of small and medium enterprises in society.

Aminullah said, his courage to eradicate moneylenders in Banda Aceh was because the government had prepared its own financial institution, namely the Mahirah Muamalah Islamic Microfinance (LKMS) as a solution for people to borrow business capital.

"When we tell the public not to take money from moneylenders, we have also prepared a solution, namely the sharia financial institution," said the former Director of Bank Aceh.

Aminullah said that all the steps were taken to increase the economic growth of the community through their small and medium enterprises.

"I dare to do and create a solution, and to this day more than five thousand people have been helped," said Aminullah.