JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry is determined to continue to encourage the development of the small and medium industry sector (IKM) amid facing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Various strategic steps have been prepared so that the SME sector can run its business well and still contributes significantly to the national economy.
"One of the efforts is that we reallocate the budget in all work units, which then is also intended for SMIs. This is because SMI has become an industrial sector that has been quite impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak," explained Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in Jakarta, Sunday (12/4).
In addition, the government also provides stimulus for the industrial sector through Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1 of 2020. Through this Perppu, the government has budgeted around Rp150 trillion for economic recovery. In addition to the stimulus, the government will budget Rp 6.1 trillion to be channeled through the People's Business Credit (KUR) scheme.
Specifically for the fulfillment of workers' rights in the SMI sector, the Ministry of Industry is seeking that SMEs can get soft loans with a longer term of payment to the State Bank Association (Himbara). (LM)