Sri Mulyani: So Wong Cilik's Bank, BRI Don't Just Turn Money But Also Lift MSME Quality

Illustration (Photo: Doc. BRI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani specifically asked PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk (BRI) to be able to improve business performance more optimally.

According to him, BRI has a broad opportunity to raise the Indonesian economy to a higher level because it intersects directly with business actors in the lower sector. It is known that the state-owned bank has a core business in the micro, small and medium enterprise loan distribution segment (MSMEs).

"BRI, which has MSME trademarks, does not only distribute credit but also improve the quality and productivity of MSMEs," he said while speaking at the BRI Microfinance Outlook 2023 forum.

The Minister of Finance explained that if BRI only adhered to achieving business targets, it could almost certainly be fulfilled.

"If you just play money, you can because there are 45 million MSMEs (which still need additional financing)," he said.

Therefore, the state treasurer advised BRI to be able to contribute to the welfare development of business actors.

We have to increase productivity, and that means a lot of work to be done. BRI must be able to empower with many things. If it's just looking for profit, it will be possible. They (MSMEs) are even still willing to pay high interest rates to moneylenders of up to 50 percent. So there must be an indicator that can raise the quality of this MSME," he said.

For information, until the third quarter of 2022, the bank has succeeded in disbursing MSME loans of IDR 935.8 trillion. This figure dominates more than half of the total credit disbursed by BRI on a consolidated basis of IDR 1,111.4 trillion.