Credits granted to small businesses

TANGERANG (JP): The local branch of state BNI 46 bank is providing credits of up to Rp 50 million to small-scale businesspeople whose kiosks and merchandise were damaged or looted during mass rioting two weeks ago, an official said yesterday.

Rijanta, head of the Tangerang branch, said the credits, which attract an annual interest rate of 12 percent, would be given mainly to groups consisting of between 10 and 30 members who had been endorsed by local mutual cooperatives.

Each group is required to equip itself with business certificates from local related institutions, he said.

"If all the requirements are met, their proposal will be processed without necessarily giving the bank any kind of collateral," he said. (41)