Ministry of Finance Ensures Warteg Get incentives
JAKARTA-Responding to the concern over the fate of the Tegal (Warung) business actors who are threatened with bankruptcy, the government through the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) ensures that Warteg will get incentives this year.
Director General of Budget of the Ministry of Finance Askolani said that currently the government is preparing incentives for MSME players. However, this year’s incentive concept is different from the previous year.
This year’s incentive is related to People’s Business Credit (KUR) and Non-KUR. Warteg business actors are one of the target beneficiaries. “UMKM has been given incentives in 2020 by the government, in quite a large number. However, in 2021, it will be supported through KUR and Non-KUR interest subsidies, “Askolani told Fajar Indonesia Network (FIN), yesterday (2/2).
Regarding the incentive scheme and the implementation of the program this year, Askolani said it was being discussed at the level of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, including the amount of budget prepared by the government. “The Coordinating Ministry for the Economy has prepared a design for this (incentive 2021),” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Warteg Nusantara (Kowantara) Cooperative, Mukroni, said that currently its members really need capital for the purpose of extending the rent for the kiosks where they sell.
“Friends are subject to installments, there are other BI Checking and so on, which until now have been somewhat stuck in banking. While at BI Checking, he no longer has access to banking, because there are arrears that have not been resolved, ”said Mukroni.
During a meeting with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy some time ago, Mukroni said that he had conveyed things that had been an obstacle to Kowantara to the government. The problem presented is the difficulty of capital to extend the business premises. “Even though this value is not much, at least around Rp. 25-50 million, but if this is not given access, they do not have capital,” he said.
As for the debt restructuring program that was given in 2020, Mukroni said that its members had taken advantage of this convenience. That is what then made them survive until now. However, it can only make them survive, while to continue their business, they need more capital. “Talking about KUR, yesterday I offered a lot, but when we submitted the funds there was no,” he said.
The government itself said that in 2020 it had disbursed a stimulus in the form of capital loans for MSME players, valued at IDR 2.4 million per beneficiary. However, the assistance aimed at capital did not touch Warteg entrepreneurs at all.
According to Mukroni, the capital needed by Warteg entrepreneurs is actually not too much, in the range of Rp. 25-50 million, and this certainly cannot be met through a limited pandemic incentive program.
“The Rp2.4 million incentive has nothing to do with banking, so it is more useful for, for example, a small meatball maker (capital). We (Warteg) need capital to extend the contract (kiosk), ”he said.
For information, the 2021 National Economic Recovery Program (PEN) has allocated a budget ceiling of IDR 63.84 trillion to support MSMEs, corporations, including State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN). Although the detailed allocation amount has not been released, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati confirmed that the portion of MSMEs is the largest. (git / din / fin)