Google Disbursed Rp155 Billion In Funds To Help Indonesian MSMEs

Google Indonesia (Tachta Citra Elfira.VOI)

JAKARTA - The technology company Google has announced its commitment to provide assistance in the amount of US $ 11 million or equivalent to Rp155 billion to support the recovery of the national economy in Indonesia. This commitment includes assistance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and job seekers in the country.

The US $ 11 million commitment includes a US $ 10 million capital loan that Google will invest in a partnership with online lending platform, Kiva, for MSMEs across the region. In addition, there is also a grant worth US $ 1 million to the Indonesia Plan International Foundation to address youth unemployment in Indonesia from Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org.

"Through a partnership with Kiva, Google provides capital to financial service providers to provide loans to SMEs most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in underserved communities in Indonesia," said Randy Jusuf, Managing Director, Google Indonesia, at the event. Google For Indonesia, Wednesday, November 18.

Plan International will work with The ASEAN Foundation to launch “Bridges to the Future: ASEAN Youth Employment” - a pilot program that provides skills training and job-seeking assistance that will help improve employability among vulnerable youth.

The program lasts two years and aims to reach 5,200 young people, nearly half of whom are women.

"We want to help Indonesia realize its economic potential through training programs and sustainable partnerships with government, industry and civil society organizations," said Randy.

"In particular, a workforce with digital skills is predicted to contribute more than Rp.4.4 trillion (US $ 303 billion) to Indonesia's GDP by 2030, and will play an important role in economic recovery and business resilience," he added.

Randy added, since 2015, the Grow with Google program has trained more than 1.7 million MSME owners, including 200,000 during COVID-19, and through this Google.org grant, his party wants to do more to support vulnerable youth.