Prospective HIPMI Central Board Chairman to Push for Fairer Financing Access for SMEs

The government faces a policy dilemma with no truly comfortable solution.

Prospective Chairman of the Central Board (BPP) of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) for the 2026-2029 period, Anthony Leong, has spotlighted the uneven access to financing for business actors, especially in the medium-sized entrepreneur group, which he deems still neglected in economic policies. Anthony stated that the national banking system needs to be more supportive of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), rather than focusing solely on certain segments.

“Do not let access to capital be enjoyed only by large entrepreneurs, while medium-sized ones remain untouched,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday (8/4).

He described the situation as a ‘donut’, where micro and large business actors receive various facilities, but medium-sized entrepreneurs are in the empty hole, without attention. According to him, this is a shared homework, including for HIPMI going forward.

“Currently, there are many incentives for micro entrepreneurs and also facilities for large ones. But medium-sized entrepreneurs are not paid attention to at all,” he stressed.

Anthony added that the number of business actors in Indonesia reaches around 56 million people, but the proportion that successfully advances to the middle class is still very limited. This condition is seen as a challenge in creating a strong and sustainable economic structure.

He asserted that equitable access to financing is key to encouraging more even distribution of prosperity in society. “We want the distribution of wealth to be fairer, so that economic growth is not only enjoyed by a handful of parties,” he said.

Going forward, Anthony hopes that HIPMI can play an active role in pushing for more inclusive policies, especially in expanding capital access for medium-sized business actors so they can grow and advance.