Perum Jamkrindo, through its UMKM Rating and Management Consultation Division, has provided training and guidance to business units of Pondok Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools). Jamkrindo's support for the development of these business units aims to offer motivation and training in managing Pondok Pesantren businesses professionally, ensuring they can become self-financing and self-supporting to meet the internal needs of the Pesantren.
The training was held at Pondok Pesantren Al Mizan, Pandeglang, Banten, on Thursday, August 24, 2017. The event was attended by participants from 25 Pondok Pesantren, members of the Pondok Pesantren Silaturahmi Forum (FSPP) in Banten Province.
The event was graced by Nina Kurnia Dewi, Head of the UMKM Rating and Management Consultation Division, along with Kyai Anang Azhari, a member of the FSPP Banten Board, Asep Hadiana, Head of Perum Jamkrindo's Serang Branch, and Iskandar Permana, Head of the Regional Office III of Perum Jamkrindo.
During the event, three selected Pondok Pesantren business units received structured and sustainable assistance based on the analysis of their respective needs.
The training included sessions on practical business planning, introduction to credit guarantees, sources of capital, and the importance of business mentoring. Apart from Perum Jamkrindo, several experts also contributed to the training, including Dr. Ir. HM Ridlo Zarkasyi, MM, and Akbar Zainudin, MM.
Nina Kurnia Dewi emphasized that the goal of this activity was to ensure that Pondok Pesantren business unit operators, regardless of the type of business they manage, understand the practices of business planning and management while also opening up access to financing for their units.
“With this, we hope there will be a positive collaboration between the business world and Pondok Pesantren to support the people's economy,” she stated.
Pondok Pesantren is a significant economic force in the community, with 24,380 registered Pesantren in 2013 and 434,333 students. To meet the daily needs of the students, Pondok Pesantren often runs business units that can become a source of financial independence. However, these units are rarely operated with proper planning and often rely on familial management with little or no professionalism.
Therefore, a coordinated and continuous synergy between various institutions is needed to carry out training and support for Pondok Pesantren business units to achieve specific goals.
“Business planning is a crucial aspect in running a business, as it helps define the business goals, which is sustainable profit growth,” Nina added.
As a state-owned company specializing in credit guarantees, Perum Jamkrindo stresses the importance of understanding the role of credit guarantees in accessing capital, particularly as Pondok Pesantren's business units are categorized as Micro and Small Enterprises (UMKM).
Perum Jamkrindo has also initiated UMKM rating and management consultation activities, supported by the development of an UMKM database. This initiative is carried out in cooperation with various stakeholders, including universities, to help develop and mentor UMKM to enhance their performance across all economic sectors.
The aim of the rating activity is to assess the capabilities of UMKM to determine the support they need, such as access to financing from banks and non-banks or guarantees.
Kyai Anang Azhari, the leader of Pondok Pesantren Al Mizan, welcomed the training and support provided by Perum Jamkrindo. He stated that Pondok Pesantren has business units that can be managed for the financial independence of the institution itself. With the training and assistance from Perum Jamkrindo, he hopes the management of these business units will improve, helping the businesses thrive.