Aid for small businesses

Aid for small businesses

From Media Indonesia

In my opinion, Eka Cipta's concept and the Bali Declaration are a realization of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. We should not interpret the ideal literally, but to quote the old Chinese proverb: "If we want to help somebody, we should not give them fish, but a hook."

Small businessmen do not only need additional money to develop their businesses. Without clear guidelines and directives they would have difficulty progressing. Poppy Dharsono rightly said: "To develop the small businesses is a complex matter. It is like eradicating a disease." Also Setio Hardjianto commented: "Giving money to small businesses is not educative."

I think in an effort to find a better solution to this particular problem it would be worth looking at industrially advanced countries like Switzerland. In this country, small industries produce components for watches made by a big company. In other words, the small industries are regarded as partners of production. The same happens in Japan and Taiwan.

FRANS HERDIAN

Jakarta