PANGKALPINANG -- Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in supporting the community's economy, for this reason, PT Timah since 2000 has supported MSME capital through the Micro Small Enterprise Funding (PUMK) program.
PT Timah's PUMK program not only supports capital for MSMEs in the company's operational areas, but also provides guidance and increases knowledge of MSMEs through training, promotion, and marketing programs.
Through the PUMK program, PT Timah targets various business actors from various service sectors, creative economy, industry, trade, livestock, agriculture, culinary, maritime, fisheries, crafts, and others.
In 2023, PT Timah disbursed IDR 10 billion in funds to support capital for 191 MSMEs in operational areas. The distribution of PUMK funds is channeled through BRI Bank.
A total of 20 partners trained by PT Timah will be promoted to class in 2023. MSMEs that are upgraded can be seen from several indicators such as an increase in the number of workers, an increase in turnover, and the involvement of local communities to produce products.
In 2024, PT Timah in collaboration with BRI will again distribute capital loans to MSME players who meet the criteria. This is a form of commitment to support the independence and development of MSME businesses.
The benefits of PT Timah's PUMK program have been felt by MSME players, as told by Bunsan, a resident of Jalan Sungai Juling, Selat Panjang, Pulau Meranti Regency.
Bunsan runs a misoa business which has been marketed to various regions including Singapore. He is grateful to be able to take advantage of the PUMK program from PT Timah Tbk because he can continue to optimize existing business opportunities and is no longer constrained by capital.
"In my opinion, the partnership program from PT Timah has a lot of convenience and relief and this is different from the others. This is what makes PT Timah Tbk proven to help MSMEs," he said.
The same thing was said by an MSME actor from Belitung Island, Erwin, who runs a chicken farming and chicken egg business.
"So I am interested in joining the program trained by PT Timah Tbk. Thank God, this program has been very helpful and my free-range chicken egg farming business has been able to develop and the production is also quite high now," he explained.
Likewise, PT Timah's partner Dahlena in Pangkalpinang said that PT Timah Tbk's PUMK program had helped her business continue to exist today. Apart from helping with capital, PT Timah Tbk also helps promote its products through exhibitions.
"I was once invited by PT Timah Tbk to an exhibition in Jakarta. Apart from that, our products are also often brought along when PT Timah Tbk participates in exhibitions, so this is one form of promotion carried out by PT Timah Tbk," he said.
Recently, he said, PT Timah Tbk also helped facilitate its products to obtain halal certification for free. As is known, halal certification is one of the attractions for consumers to buy products.
"I was also facilitated by PT Timah Tbk to get halal certification and this was free. Because if you pay it's not bad. I'm very grateful to be able to help PT Timah Tbk," he said. (*)
