The Government Will Moratorium On Borrowing Permits

Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G Plate/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Johnny G. Plate said the government will conduct a moratorium on the issuance of permits for online lending.

"The OJK (Financial Services Authority) will conduct a moratorium on the issuance of fintech permits for new legal online loans," said Jhonny G. Plate, quoted by Antara, Friday, October 15.

Kominfo will also conduct a moratorium on the issuance of new electronic system providers for online loans, or increase the 107 legal loans that are currently officially registered and operating under OJK governance.

Jhony conveyed this after holding a joint meeting with President Jokowi.

During the meeting, Jhony said that President Jokowi emphasized that online loan management (pinjol) must be considered because more than 68 million people have participated in these financial technology activities.

"More than Rp260 trillion in turnover or the circulation of funds in it. Given that there are so many abuses or criminal acts in the online lending space, the President gave a very firm direction," said Jhony.

According to Jhonny, Kominfo from 2018 to 15 October 2021 has closed 4,874 online loan accounts. In 2021, there are 1,856 pinjols that have been closed on the website, Google Play Store, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram as well as in file sharing.

"We will take firm and uncompromising steps to clean the digital space of illegal online lending practices or unregistered online loans whose impact is so serious," said Jhony.

Jhonny said the National Police would also take firm steps in the field in the form of detention, prosecution, and strict legal processes against all loan crimes.

"Because the affected are small communities, especially people from the ultra-micro and MSME sectors, we will not open up space and compromise for that," said Jhonny.

In addition, Kominfo has also established the Kominfo Digital Economy Forum which regularly holds monthly meetings to discuss the development, improvement, and updating of digital spaces and digital economy transactions, including discussions related to online loans and counteracting unregistered online loans. or illegal.

"Once again, Kominfo will clean up the digital space, carry out the take down process in a firm and precise manner. At the same time, law enforcement by law enforcement officers, in this case the Police, will take firm steps against all perpetrators of unregistered online loan crimes," said Johnny.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the OJK Board of Commissioners, Wimboh Santoso, appealed to the public to choose a loan provider that has been officially registered with the OJK.

OJK, according to Wimboh, has made an agreement with the National Police Chief, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Governor of Bank Indonesia, and the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs to eradicate illegal lending.

It is also mentioned that this collaboration must include closing the platform and being processed legally in any form, whether cooperative, payment, or peer to peer, all are the same.

"Therefore, this immediate and massive eradication is a shared agenda, especially the OJK, the National Police Chief, and the Kominfo. This is so that the public does not get caught up in offers of loans from illegal loans," said Wimboh.