Jakarta, 22 December 2020 --- The Covid-19 pandemic is still a challenge for the business world. But on the other hand, this pandemic has also created new trends and opportunities for business actors, including MSMEs. One of these trends is the tendency for small business actors to be more familiar with e-commerce sales, as a way to survive the crisis. In the midst of the tendency for MSMEs to increasingly go digital, PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI is preparing a digital service ecosystem under the umbrella of BNI Smart Solution.
For the MSME segment, BNI has prepared a comprehensive digitization program package. In terms of financing, first, BNI continues to improve its end-to-end business processes, primarily through strengthening mobile apps, called BNI Move, so it is hoped that the credit process can be easier and faster. Second, BNI continues to further develop the supporting ecosystems, among others digital agricultural ecosystem with the name BNI smartfarming, fisheries ecosystem or BNI smart fisheries, health ecosystem or BNI smart-healthcare, education ecosystem or BNI smart-education.
"Under the umbrella of BNI smart solution, we work on the potential for financing from upstream to downstream, including working on close-loop and digital customer transactions," said the MSMEs Business Director of BNI, Muhammad Iqbal in Jakarta, Tuesday (22 December 2020).
In terms of transaction, BNI continues to improve the reliability of various digital payment tools and features such as Electronic Data Capture (EDC), QRIS, mobile banking, Tapcash and Tapcash Go, BNI MORE for mobile remittance, to BNI Direct for cash management, to support smooth transactions for MSME players. In addition, BNI also continues to develop API (application programming interface) to strengthen business cooperation services with e-commerce partners and fintech partners.
"The digitization of MSMEs in the midst of this pandemic is a must, this is due to the shifting trend of face-to-face to online purchases. In order for MSMEs to expand their market reach, MSMEs must be connected to a digital / e-commerce platform," he said.
Iqbal mentioned, a set of strategies to help MSMEs resilient after the Pandemic has been prepared and is expected to sustain MSME credit growth at a moderate level by the end of 2020 at a range of 9 - 10%. This moderate growth is supported by the placement of Government funds in BNI as part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program, amounting to Rp 7.5 trillion, which has currently been leveraged more than 3 times as support and commitment of BNI to participate in restoring the Indonesian economy.
it is projected to be a momentum for economic recovery, with Indonesia's economic growth. However, this condition is still overshadowed by the spread of Covid-19, which is still high. Due to these macroeconomic conditions, as well as the current development of the pandemic, BNI projects that we will maintain MSME credit growth in 2021 at a level that is more or less the same as in 2020," he said.
BNI Orbiting MSMEs to International Market
BNI continues to encourage its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to take advantage of the global market. To that end, the company takes advantage of its overseas branch office network to accelerate the MSME business abroad.
Iqbal explained, currently BNI has 6 branch office overseas which can be used to open market access for MSME products through strengthening cooperation with the diaspora, the Indonesian Embassy to global market players.
"However, currently there are two challenges for MSMEs to penetrate the international market. First, there is a lack of information from domestic MSME players regarding needs or demands abroad. Second, there is still a lack of understanding of MSME actors regarding the requirements for exporting products, such as certification, for example. However, these two challenges were overcome by involving embassies, diaspora and global market players to help BNI-fostered MSME products penetrate the export market," he said.
Until now, there have been several examples of BNI-fostered MSMEs who have exported their products overseas. First, BNI's MSME partner from Central Java, which produces paper bags and disposable clothing. Currently, its products have penetrated the French, US and Australian markets.
Furthermore, there are other MSME from East Java that is engaged in apple cider business. BNI facilitates the People's Business Credit (KUR) for this MSME. Currently, the apple cider producer have exported its products to Japan and the Netherlands.
For more information, please contact:
BNI Corporate Secretary
Phone: 021-5728387
Email: bni@bni.co.id