Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
Senior Economist, University of Indonesia (UI) Faisal Basri claiming disbursement credit by state-owned bank or the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) to tens of trillions of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is cannibalization. The credit disbursement is in the context of economic recovery due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This means that the recipients of credit are actually MSMEs that have previously received credit. Thus, the number of MSMEs that received credit flows did not actually increase.
“Try checking in an instant that PT BRI (Persero) Tbk and PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk can distribute credit to MSMEs up to Rp. 20 trillion. I can guarantee it is cannibalization,” he added in the Secret at News Room (Setroom). CNNIndonesia.com, Thursday (13/8) night.
If this is the case, said Faisal, lending to MSMEs will be ineffective. This is because the government hopes that MSMEs that get credit channels are evenly distributed to revive the real sector after being hit by the corona virus pandemic.
“That’s why, I say it seems as if the distribution of credit has increased but it is not effective, because those are the people too. This is what I hate. I can guarantee you, I bet I’m imprisoned,” said Faisal.
According to him, this cannibalization clearly happened because Faisal thought it was impossible for a bank to be able to channel credit to hundreds of thousands of new MSMEs in the midst of a pandemic. The reason is, public demand is also weakening.
“Try to imagine how many hundred thousand UMKM MSMEs credit the Rp. 20 trillion. It’s great to get 100 thousand new customers of MSMEs with covid-19 (corona virus) problems,” said Faisal.
For this reason, he asked President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to reprimand the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir regarding this matter. According to him, the government should not raise BUMN in an incorrect way.
“We do not want to build a state of capitalism. We want to build it together. If Bank Mandiri was told to distribute credit to MSMEs, there is no competence. Yes, the important thing is the target, cannibalism, please check it,” said Faisal.
Deputy Minister of BUMN II Kartika Wirjoatmodjo previously detailed the realization of credit disbursement from the placement of government funds amounting to IDR 43.5 trillion as of July 22, 2020. The credit was given to 518,797 customers. “This is 145 percent of the total funds placed by the government,” added the man who is familiarly called Tiko.
Meanwhile, the President Director of BRI Sunarso admitted that he had disbursed loans from the ‘government piggy bank’ amounting to Rp24.93 trillion. The credit was given to 583,517 customers.
He stated that the company is committed to expanding credit from government savings placed in this issuer coded BBRI. Lending is targeted to reach IDR 30 trillion or three times the total government funds in companies.
Then, President Director of Bank Mandiri Royke Tumilaar said that the company had disbursed loans from the placement of government funds amounting to Rp. 16.2 trillion. Loans were extended to 27,854 customers.
Just like BRI, the management of Bank Mandiri is also committed to channeling loans three times the amount of government savings. This means that the credit expansion target from the placement of government funds alone reaches IDR 30 trillion.
CNNIndonesia.com have tried to confirm Faisal’s assessment regarding the cannibalization carried out by BRI and Bank Mandiri to their respective management. However, there has been no response from the two companies.
(Au / BIR)
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