Suara.com – PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, commonly known as BNI, has recently entered into a partnership with PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara (SGN) aimed at facilitating the distribution of Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) and BNI Wirausaha (BWU) loans specifically for sugarcane farmers.

This initiative aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision for national self-sufficiency through food and energy independence, while also reflecting the company’s commitment to advancing the agricultural sector and supporting the target of achieving sugar self-sufficiency by 2028.

The collaboration was formalized with the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between BNI’s Business Program Division Leader, Sunarna Eka Nugraha, and SGN’s Finance Director, Hariyanto. The signing ceremony took place at BNI’s headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. BNI’s Director of Retail Banking, Corina Leyla Karnalies, was also present to witness this significant partnership.

Through this collaboration, BNI will provide KUR and BWU loans to sugarcane farmers who are partners of SGN. The potential financing for these farmers could reach up to IDR 1.17 trillion, with SGN acting as the off-taker, purchasing the sugarcane harvested by farmers who benefit from BNI’s KUR and BWU loans.

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“As a state-owned bank, we are dedicated to supporting the government’s priority programs, including national food security and sugar self-sufficiency. This partnership is particularly special as it strengthens our collaboration to support government initiatives,” Corina stated during her speech.

Corina emphasized that BNI’s role through this partnership is to ensure that farmers have access to affordable and straightforward financing, along with adequate support. “We hope this collaboration continues to improve, as it marks just the beginning of our efforts. This will be a tangible representation of Indonesia’s sovereignty in the food sector,” she added.

In the same vein, Hariyanto noted that the signing of this agreement extends the partnership that has existed between BNI and SGN since 2022. The provision of KUR and BWU loans to sugarcane farmers plays a crucial role in bolstering food security, particularly in realizing national sugar self-sufficiency by 2028.

“Eighty-five percent of sugar raw materials come from farmers, so it’s essential to support an ecosystem that benefits these farmers,” Hariyanto remarked.

The KUR and BWU loan programs aim not only to help achieve national sugar self-sufficiency but also to enhance the welfare of farmers. This, in turn, empowers farmers to contribute more significantly to the economy.

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“The impact will be particularly evident in farmer groups, ultimately leading to greater prosperity for our farmers. On a national scale, our immediate milestone is achieving sugar self-sufficiency by 2028,” he concluded.