Small-scale credit

From Republika

I am a small-scale businessman and I know how difficult it is to obtain credit from either government banks or private banks. My application for credit has been repeatedly rejected for unimportant reasons, despite the possibility that my project could be promising.

But I felt relieved when I read a report in this paper (June 6, 1994) that HIPPI (Association of Indonesian Indigenous Entrepreneurs) is willing to become a guarantor for small-scale businessmen. In this relation I would like to give some suggestions:

* HIPPI should establish representatives in the regions, because the majority of small-scale businessmen live in the regions.

* HIPPI should be required to establish a commission or team to conduct feasibility studies of the small-scale businessmen who wish to obtain a credit. Eventually the team should be required to give recommendations on whether or not the small-scale businessmen's demand for credit could be granted.

FAISAL BASIR

Tasikmalaya, W. Java