PNM Mekaar Loan Interest Slashed to 8 Percent from 25 Percent, Here Are the Considerations

Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) Maman Abdurrahman has revealed that the reduction in the interest rate for PNM Mekaar financing services to 8 percent will take effect in early September 2026. The current lending rate ranges between 18 and 25 percent.

PNM Mekaar is an unsecured business capital loan service from PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) (Persero), part of the BRI Group, aimed at ultra-micro business operators from underprivileged families, particularly women.

“Based on the instruction from the President (Prabowo Subianto), it will be reduced to 8 percent. We have also coordinated with Danantara, and God willing, it will come into effect around early September,” he said when met at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.

He explained that his ministry, together with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and Danantara, had discussed accelerating the execution of the credit programme for underprivileged women under the PNM Mekaar Programme. In line with the President’s directive, the interest rate on this programme, which has averaged around 20 percent, can be lowered to 8 percent for approximately 14 million PNM Mekaar customers.

“So, there are rates of 21 percent, from 18 percent to around 24 percent, but we average it at roughly 20 percent. The President’s instruction is that it must be pushed below 10 percent, so as not to burden these underprivileged women. Thank God, the formulation and mechanism have been found, and the interest rate has been decided at around 8 percent,” Maman stated.

“That is the President’s hope, that ordinary people should not be burdened with high interest rates. So, it has now been decided at 8 percent, and it will take effect in early September. We have discussed this with the Coordinating Minister (for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto), as well as with the Ministry of Finance and Danantara,” said Minister Maman.