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