Finanzgruppe Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation

 Finanzgruppe
Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation
Delegation of Bank BPD Aceh visits Stadtsparkasse Bad Honnef
Partner of Sparkassen Reconstruction Fund in Indonesia/Banda Aceh gets fit in loan
processing
Within the scope of a visit to the Stadtsparkasse Bad Honnef at the end of June, a
delegation of Bank BPD Aceh was familiarised with the organisation and structure of
the Stadtparkasse Bad Honnef, and showed particular interest in the processing of
loans.
For the staff of the bank of the Indonesian province of Aceh, which was strongly
affected by the tsunami, the processing and management of loans is a relatively new
issue: Within the scope of the Sparkassen Reconstruction Fund for South Asia,
administered by the Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation, Bank BPD
Aceh was selected as partner for the extension of loans in Banda Aceh. Since
February 2006 two long-term experts of Sparkassenstiftung are working on site in
Indonesia. For the entire duration of the project, these two experts accompany and
guide the partner bank, Bank BDP Aceh, in the introduction of a new micro lending
product for small and micro enterprises. Until then, Bank BPD Aceh only extended
consumer loans to government officials. With the help of the new micro loan,
particularly small and micro enterprises are supplied with fresh capital and thus
enabled to revitalise their businesses. In many cases a loan of EUR 500 is sufficient
to re-enter the old field of business. But especially small enterprises have difficulties
in acquiring financial capital, as they often lack the necessary collateral.
For Bank BPD Aceh, too, the first steps were difficult: “We had to start from nothing.
We did not have any experience in the area of microfinancing. Therefore, we are very
grateful for so much support from Germany and for the opportunity to visit manifold
institutions of the German Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe in these days, including the
Stadtsparkasse Bad Honnef“, says Mr. Aminullah Usman, the Chairman of the Board
of Bank BPD Aceh.
“Despite the unfavourable conditions and the immense level of destruction we had
to cope with in Aceh, we were able to quickly finalise the planning of the new
product and implement the product named KUM (Kredit Usaha Mikro, which stands
for small enterprise loan) in the single branches with the help of a pilot project“,
adds Mr. Stefan Henkelmann, the responsible project manager of
Sparkassenstiftung.
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It is of high importance to the Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband (DSGV) and
the Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation not to provide financial
means only, but to render consultancy and training support along with the credit
line supplied by the German Sparkassen, Mr. Henkelmann further explains. Thus,
long-term structures are to be created, ensuring the supply of small-sized
enterprises with loans, once the project has come to an end. For that reason, special
focus is put on the training of loan officers, who are supposed to manage the new
KUM product in the long run.
“The Sparkasse Bad Honnef is a long-term member of the Sparkassenstiftung für
internationale Kooperation. Against this background we are very glad to give a
hands-on contribution to developing credit structures in Indonesia“, says the
Chairman of the Board of the Sparkasse Bad Honnef, Mr. Hellmuth Buhr, who sees
his bank’s commitment to the project as a facet of the savings banks idea being put
into practice. He is convinced that with its new loan product Bank BPD will be able to
achieve a similar high level of importance for the broad population and SMEs as the
Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe has already gained in Germany.
Photo:
Front row, from left to right: Mr. Hellmuth Buhr (Chairman of the Board, SSK Bad Honnef),
Mr. Aminullah Usman (Chairman of the Board, Bank BPD Aceh), Mr. Ismet Yoesoef (Member of the
Board, Loans/Marketing), Mr. Michael Hartmann (Member of the Board, SSK Bad Honnef),
Back row, from left to right: Prof. Dr. Raja Masbar (Member of the Supervisory Board), Mr. Bahrum
Harun (Head of HR Department), Ms. Sonja Reinhardt and Mr. Michael Kühl (Long-term experts of
Sparkassenstiftung), Mr. Stefan Henkelmann (Project Manager of Sparkassenstiftung)