Batam City Government Partners with Bank Sumut to Expand Micro-Business Capital Access
Batam (ANTARA) - The Batam City Government in the Riau Islands has partnered with Bank Sumut to widen access to capital for micro-enterprise operators through a loan interest subsidy programme.
Batam Mayor Amsakar Achmad said the programme forms part of the regional government’s efforts to strengthen grassroots economic empowerment by easing access to business financing.
“What we are implementing today is in the context of grassroots economic empowerment. The government’s task is not only to build the city physically, but also to empower the community so that their businesses can grow,” said Amsakar in Batam on Friday.
The cooperation was marked by the signing of a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between the Batam City Government and PT Bank Sumut concerning the Interest Subsidy Programme for Micro-Enterprise Operators in Batam City.
Through the partnership, micro-enterprise operators can access loans of up to Rp20 million at zero per cent interest, with no collateral, administration fees or provision charges.
He explained that in the initial phase, the loan ceiling stands at Rp20 million per business operator with a two-year tenor.
“I request that when we evaluate next year, the ceiling can be raised to Rp50 million,” he said.
Previously, under the interest subsidy programme, the Batam City Government had partnered with Bank BTN in 2025 and Bank Riau Kepri (BRK) Syariah in June 2026.
By bringing in Bank Sumut, micro-enterprise operators in Batam now have an increasingly wide choice of financial institutions to draw upon.
Salim, Head of the Batam Cooperatives and Micro Enterprises Office (Diskum), said that under the Bank Sumut scheme, the eight per cent loan interest is fully borne by the Batam City Government so that business operators are charged no interest.
“To support the programme, the Batam City Government has allocated a budget of Rp3 billion in the 2026 regional budget,” he said.
He also said that 22 business operators had already taken advantage of the programme through Bank BTN, one of whom has fully repaid their loan.
Meanwhile, through BRK Syariah, six micro-enterprise operators have obtained financing.
Meanwhile, Faisal Panggabean, Head of the Consumer Credit Division at PT Bank Sumut, said the bank stands ready to support micro-enterprise development in Batam through easily accessible financing.
According to him, besides the zero per cent interest, the programme also offers various conveniences, including loans without collateral, free provision charges, free administration fees, and insurance premiums borne by the bank.
“Debtors genuinely receive financing at zero per cent interest. There is no collateral, no provision or administration fees, and we even cover the insurance. We hope this programme can drive the progress of micro, small and medium enterprises in Batam City,” said Faisal.