UKM is all talk

UKM is all talk
no action

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 16,
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 the related body in
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 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 small and medium enterprises (UKM). We
are now beginning to believe that our participation was meant to
legalize the institution, and confirmed our belief that UKM is
all talk and no action.

DWI HENRY SETIAWAN

Secretary-General

FORDA UKM

Yogyakarta