Financial assistance

Financial assistance
for UKM

From Bisnis Indonesia

There have been a lot of reports about financial assistance
given by the Office of the State Minister of Cooperatives and
Small and Medium Enterprises to the Micro Financial Institution
(LKM) in several regions in Indonesia.

I have a personal experience in respect of LKM: On July
16perhaps July 17 and July 18, I was invited to attend a national
workshop in Jakarta on the development and strengthening of LKM
conducted by the above office in conjunction with LPKM who is
this of Pajajaran University, Bandung.

During the first briefing, the committee expected us to study
materials provided, including a draft on micro finance to prepare
for a discussion two days later.

The opening ceremony was held on July 17 at the central bank
and attended by the state minister, the minister of finance and
the central bank governor. After that we had an intense
discussion which continued into the second day before the
workshop was closed. The committee promised that they would send
us the results along with the certificates of the workshop.

Four months have passed and I haven't heard anything from the
committee.

This experience has eroded our positive thinking toward the
government with regard to UKMwho. We are now beginning to believe
that our participation was meant to legalize the institution, and
confirmed our belief that UKMwho? is all talk and no action.

DWI HENRY SETIAWAN

Secretary-General

FORDA UKM

Yogyakarta