We will focus on developing MSMEs with low cost.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-run bank PT Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) Tbk will establish a digital banking service to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) enter the global market.

“We will concentrate on developing a digital banking service that focuses on the MSME sector,” president director of BNI, Royke Tumilaar, said at the 2022 Infobank Digital Brand Awards here on Thursday.

The implementation of the digital banking service will reduce operational risk, which is quite high currently, he added. The application of the service will also be in line with the demand for low operational costs in the MSME sector.

“We will focus on developing MSMEs with low cost,” he added.

The establishment of the digital banking service is part of the company’s efforts to take advantage of digital transformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he emphasized.

The MSME sector has huge potential abroad since Indonesia has eight million diaspora who can help develop the international market for MSMEs.

"There are eight million Indonesian people abroad who can be potential consumers for MSMEs or help small businesses to enter the market of the foreign countries where they live," the president director said.

Currently, BNI is still in the process of completing the acquisition of Bank Mayora, which will be developed as a digital bank.

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In addition to acquiring the bank, Tumilaar said that BNI is also looking for a technology developer partner.

Besides building the digital bank, the technology developer partner will help to properly mitigate the volatility of MSMEs since usually, conventional banks face too high a cost in this area.

"It will help us to enter the global market better,” the president director added.

Earlier, Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Teten Masduki, had said that MSMEs' digital transformation has become a necessity for them to survive. Hence, the government is targeting to digitize 20 million MSMEs by 2022.

Related news: Ministry asks young generation to explore MSME potential

Translator: Astrid Habibah, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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