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House commends BNI-supported Padang restaurant in Den Haag
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tate-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir (center) attends the inauguration of the Warung Padang Lapek Jo restaurant in Den Haag, the Netherlands.
PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (BNI) is committed to supporting the Indonesian diaspora in its efforts to introduce Indonesian culture to the world. The group is expected to open the door to Indonesian exports and attract foreign investment to the country.
Recently, BNI endorsed the diaspora-founded Warung Makan Padang Lapek in Den Haag in the form of a 50,000 euro (US$50 thousand) loan. House of Representatives Commission VI member Andre Rosiade and State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir visited the Netherlands to witness the ongoing BNI Diaspora Go Global programs in the country.
Andre explained that the BNI Diaspora Go Global program was the SOE Ministry’s effort, through BNI, to improve the Indonesian diaspora economy around the world while paving the way for Indonesian products to go international.
"As a member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives, I had the opportunity to accompany SOEs Minister Erick Thohir to see firsthand the BNI Go Global program in the Netherlands. On this occasion, minister Erick also inaugurated the opening of the Warung Padang Lapek Jo Restaurant in the Dutch city of Den Haag," he said.
According to Andre, establishments such as Warung Padang Lapek Jo deserve full support considering their enormous potential amid the high demand for authentic Indonesian cuisine in the Netherlands as well as other parts of the world.
“Revamps were made to the restaurant, and now it is twice as large as it was previously. Its development has been assisted by the SOEs Ministry through the BNI Diaspora Go Global program as BNI helps finance diaspora businesses around the world. Warung Padang Lapek Jo was assisted and financed by the Amsterdam and London branches of BNI,” Andre added.
Boosting diaspora loans
BNI president director Royke Tumilaar stated that BNI’s support for Warung Makan Padang Lapek Jo was part of BNI’s performance in boosting the economy of Indonesian diaspora. Furthermore, Warung Makan Padang Lapek Jo holds great potential due to the rising number of Padang food enthusiasts in Den Haag.
He expressed hope that BNI’s financial assistance would help the restaurant’s working capital and business expansion to attract more customers.
“Of course, we are optimistic that the diaspora loan will encourage the image of Padang restaurants as a vehicle to introduce Indonesian culture to the world,” Royke said.
Royke added that BNI Xpora also encouraged kerupuk traditional cracker producers to export their goods abroad, including as a side dish at the Lapek Jo restaurant.
“Obviously, this is a very positive trend. We will continue to distribute more diaspora loans to support the development of diaspora businesses and optimize business matching programs by BNI Xpora to help propel more micro, small and medium enterprises [MSMEs] products to the international market,” he concluded.
