"I am truly in love with the PNM Mekaar program, which was initiated by President Jokowi. When I was entrusted with it, there were around 6.5 million customers. With the hard work of PNM's directors and commissioners, it has now grown to nearly 14.8 million customers. This is an outstanding number," he said while attending the Rek Ayo Rek Dolen Karo Pak ET event in Surabaya on Sept. 30.

As a result, the SOEs Ministry, along with the directors and commissioners of PNM, is striving to reach a target of 20 million customers in the future.

"In East Java alone, there are already 2.7 million customers, [with PNM] having disbursed approximately Rp 39 trillion [US$2.48 billion]. This is an enormous figure, but I hope that no one becomes complacent, as many people, especially women, still require funding to develop their household economies," he remarked.

If the goal of 20 million customers is achieved, he continued, it would encompass 21.3 million individuals, based on data collected on economically disadvantaged families receiving 10 kilograms of rice as food assistance from the government between September and November 2023.

"In theory and in our estimations, if PNM can reach 20 million customers, it can mutually support and contribute to alleviating the plight of economically disadvantaged families," he stated.

Erick emphasized the need to change each individual's mindset so they can become entrepreneurs and effectively manage the assistance provided by PNM Mekaar.

"Imagine a mother with 10 children, on her own, proving that she can work and trade with her limitations. She even has a motorbike, and she can use it for her family's welfare when checking on her household. This is an incredible breakthrough because she can manage the funds to support her family," Erick said.

Erick hopes that, in addition to being a lending institution, PNM can also guide its customers in managing their capital to make it more beneficial for their families and communities.

"We will collaborate with various organizations, such as the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, or even with migrant workers because many of them return home with funds but may not all understand how to become entrepreneurs," he concluded.

These are initiatives that his team continues to promote to build an ecosystem that strengthens Indonesia's economy.

"We will continue to push for an increase in the number of customers, and there is still untapped potential in Eastern Indonesia. I am confident that the digitization of PNM's system will make it easier in the future," Erick added.

In addition, the father of four children also reminded potential PNM customers, especially those in rural areas, to be cautious about scams masquerading as PNM Mekaar.

"Many Mekaar-Mekaaran programs are happening in rural areas, and there are scams occurring here and there. My advice is, before you look at the Mekaar brand, check first whether it is from PNM or the government. I have received reports of numerous scams currently," he said.

During the event, Erick Thohir also provided appreciation to PNM's female customers in the form of an additional capital of Rp 1 million each and Rp 250,000 for PNM account officers (AO).

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