Erick Thohir Calls BRI's Empowerment Of MSMEs To Be A Pro-People's Economic Locomotive

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir said state-owned companies continue to strive to overcome the problem of economic inequality. One of them is through PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BBRI) in assisting and developing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

According to Erick, by promoting a people's economy, intervention in MSMEs in the form of providing capital and assistance is claimed to have a strong effect and accelerate the welfare of business actors.

Because of that, Erick assessed that BRI was able to become a pro-people economic locomotive that could bring a strong multiplier effect so that MSMEs would advance to class.

"Covid-19 is very pressing economically because there are limitations to movement, so that there is an economic gap. Therefore, intervention is needed and the way is in SOEs trying to balance what is the imbalance," he said in a written statement received by VOI, Wednesday, February 23. .

Furthermore, Erick also invited business actors to always take advantage of lending at affordable interest rates at BRI. That way, business actors have an additional stimulus to increase business productivity.

BRI has long been known as the largest microcredit channeling bank in Indonesia. Over the past year, BRI on a consolidated basis has disbursed a total loan of Rp1,042.97 trillion. The distribution was dominated by the micro segment of IDR 483.9 trillion and the small and medium segment of IDR 240.35 trillion.

As is known, digitalization has overcome the problem of space and time in business activities. This condition needs to be utilized by business actors in order to maximize their turnover.

Erick also appreciated BRI's efforts to support MSMEs going digital through the provision of an online market. "With all humility, we hope that traders in the market will also cooperate with Himbara, one of which is BRI, so that funding is cheap," he said.

"BRI is also building what is called an online market ecosystem so that what you sell can be directly connected to buyers anywhere. We at SOEs, God willing, will continue to assist," concluded Erick.