Mr President tasked us and the ministry of co-operatives and small and medium enterprises to give more opportunities for MSMEs not only through the provision of business licenses, whose number is close to reaching three million but also through the fJakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of State-owned Enterprises Erick Thohir stated that the issuance of business identification numbers (NIB) demonstrated President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) mindfulness towards Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Thohir said the president had tasked him and Minister of Investment/Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia, as well as the Ministry of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises with expediting the process of NIB issuance for MSMEs.
"Mr President tasked us and the ministry of co-operatives and small and medium enterprises to give more opportunities for MSMEs not only through the provision of business licenses, whose number is close to reaching three million but also through the funding for MSMEs that we continue to encourage," Thohir said in a statement here, Thursday.
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Meanwhile, Lahadalia said that the cross-ministerial mission has been causal to the success to provide close to 2.5 million licenses for MSMEs, and the figure is expected to reach three million by year-end.
"Praise be to God, a lot of MSME entrepreneurs asked for assistance from Mr Thohir in the form of work capital, provision of places, and others. I believe our work has translated Mr President's instruction to be mindful of small businesses instead of catering only to large-scale businesses," Lahadalia affirmed.
The BKPM head earlier noted that through the risk-based OSS system, the issuance of NIBs to MSMEs can now be conducted easily, quickly, and free of charge.
Nevertheless, obstacles are still encountered in the issuance of NIBs for companies with high risk, such as issues pertaining to detailed spatial planning (RDTR) and building approval (PBG), the minister noted.
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The minister said that currently, the ease of investment in Indonesia is continuing to improve as compared to ASEAN countries. In fact, Indonesia has scored just one point less than Singapore in terms of reforms for easing investment in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report. As per the report, Singapore has scored 19 points, and Indonesia has 18 points.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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