JAKARTA - REPUBLIKA - The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs noted that the realization of sharia People's Business Credit (KUR) distribution until the end of August 2019 was only 0.98 percent of the total realization of KUR distribution in the same period, namely Rp. 102 trillion. This is due to the limited distribution of Islamic KUR.

Deputy Coordinating Minister for Macroeconomics and Finance of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Iskandar Si Morangkir, said the big challenge in distributing Islamic KUR is the limited number of distributors. There are only two banks registered as sharia KUR distributors. "Today, only BRI Syariah and Bank NTB Syariah," he said when contacted by Republika, Monday (21/10).

Iskandar added that the government is also active in educating sharia KUR. Because, the information about KUR with the sharia scheme is not as massive as conventional KUR.

Iskandar added, the government through the Secretariat of the Financing Policy Committee for MSMEs is also working with the National Sharia Finance Committee (KNKS).

The two parties are aggressively disseminating the mechanism for channeling sharia KUR to Islamic commercial banks (BUS), Islamic business units (UUS) of conventional commercial banks to sharia cooperatives or baitul mal wa tamwil (BMT).

Currently, Iskandar said, there are several parties who have proposed themselves as sharia KUR distributors. Call it UUS BPD South Kalimantan, BPD Riau Kepri, BPD Central Java, and BPD South Sumatra Babel. "BNI Syariah is also in the process of filing," he said.

Although its contribution is still small compared to conventional KUR, the proportion of sharia KUR distribution continues to increase. In 2017 and 2018, the proportions were 0.48 percent and 0.64 percent, respectively. Sharia KUR distribution per August reached IDR 1 trillion to 19,032 borrowers.

In the records of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the realization of KUR distribution in the January to August 2019 period increased by 30 percent compared to the same period last year (Rp. 769 billion). In fact, when compared to 2017, per plant growth reached 115 percent, namely from IDR 465 billion.

An observer of sharia economics from the SEBI College of Islamic Economics, Azis Budi Setiawan, said the main key in increasing the proportion of sharia KUR distribution is increasing the number of distributors from currently only two, namely BRI Syariah and Bank NTB Syariah.

He sees that the potential for KUR distribution, including the sya riah scheme, is still large. Only 30 percent of the total 60 million MSMEs have received funding or access from banks. "This means, there are still more than 40 million MSMEs that have not been touched," said Azis when contacted by Republika, yesterday.

By only relying on two distributors, Azis explained, the coverage of Islamic KUR was limited. Another impact, education about Islamic KUR to the world of usa ha is getting less so that they only know conventional KUR.

Therefore, Azis emphasized, if the government wants to seriously develop sharia KUR distribution, they must collaborate with implementing banks. There are hundreds of Islamic people's financing banks (BPRS) that have the potential to work together. Moreover, the government continues to press the margins of the syariah KUR low. Currently, the KUR interest rate is 7 percent. (Ed: fuji pratiwi)