Mata Wahyuni, 59, a resident of Wirogunan, Kartasura, Sukoharjo, became teary-eyed when recounting her struggle selling tofu decades ago. At that time, she was only ten years old.
After school, little Wahyuni helped her parents sell tofu around the village. If there were few buyers, she had to walk even farther, sometimes reaching the edge of the district, which was dozens of kilometers away.
The struggle to make a living with pieces of tofu continued even after she got married. As a young couple from a modest family, they had to work hard. Selling tofu door-to-door became their last resort, as they had no other skills.
Every morning, Wahyuni and her husband, Jiman, 64, rode their respective vehicles to the market. They bought tofu from wholesalers and then sold it to households. Wahyuni used a bicycle, while Jiman used a pedicab to carry their goods.
"We are used to going around, supplying our regular customers. Sometimes, we even go as far as Manahan or other distant areas, as long as we sell everything," she recalled when met by Solopos.com at her home in RT 003/001, Kranggan Wetan Hamlet, Wirogunan Village, Kartasura, Sukoharjo, on Thursday (June 25, 2015).
Jamkrindo
Her dream at that time was to own her own production machine so that the profits would be greater. Their hopes were revived when they were offered a business loan from BRI. Initially, she was hesitant. Their limited assets made them doubt that their loan application would be easily approved. However, their credit limit was covered thanks to the credit guarantee program from Perum Jaminan Kredit Indonesia (Jamkrindo).
The couple received a People's Business Credit (KUR) loan of Rp20 million in 2007 from BRI’s Pabelan, Kartasura branch. The capital was used to purchase a tofu production machine.
To this day, their tofu factory has continued to grow and now employs two workers. Wahyuni, who was once pessimistic, has even managed to send all three of her children to university.
Her first daughter has joined the tofu business, while her two sons have become members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). "Sometimes I still can't believe it. This is all thanks to hard work and financial support. Without capital, we wouldn’t have been able to grow like this," she said.
Support
Wahyuni and her family's success is just one of many stories demonstrating the benefits of Jamkrindo for small entrepreneurs. The Head of Jamkrindo Solo Service Unit (KUP), Danang Sumarwoto, stated that the potential for MSME development in Soloraya is significant, requiring financial institutions' support.
According to Danang, many productive entrepreneurs still need loan assistance. Thus, his institution continues to expand its guarantee programs for eligible and productive business owners who have not yet met standard requirements.
Jamkrindo has partnered with 70 institutions, including Regional Development Banks (BPD), state-owned banks, national private banks—both conventional and Islamic—and other credit distribution agencies. Their guarantee products include 13 types, such as People's Business Credit (KUR), General Credit or Financing Guarantees, Micro Business Credit Guarantees, and others.
This state-owned enterprise, which received a “Good” rating in the 2014 BUMN Infobank Award, continues to increase its credit guarantee targets. In 2015, their goal was Rp77 trillion, marking a more than 90% increase from the previous year.
Jamkrindo President Director, Diding S. Anwar, hoped that credit guarantees would help promote the growth of MSME businesses. "In 2014, Jamkrindo's credit guarantee volume was Rp42 trillion. This year, it should be at least Rp77 trillion. This is, of course, to advance our MSMEs," he said, as quoted from Jamkrindo's official website.
Moreover, Jamkrindo also places special attention on the maritime economy sector. They aimed to guarantee Rp10 trillion in credit in this sector, representing 12.98% of their total 2015 target.
According to data released on Jamkrindo's official website, the volume of People's Business Credit (KUR) guaranteed in 2014 reached 51.63% of the national realization. The Guarantee Service Fee (IJP) for KUR received until September 2014 accounted for 69.87% of the total gross IJP received by Perum Jamkrindo.
Claims from January to September 2014 amounted to 75.02% of the 2014 RKAP. Meanwhile, the volume of KUR guaranteed from January 1 to September 30, 2014, reached 51.58% of the previous year's KUR target.
Source: Ika Yunianti / JIBI / Solopos