Semarang (ANTARA) - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka on Friday met with beneficiaries and mentors of the Family Prosperous Economy (Mekaar) program managed by state-run finance firm PT PNM in Semarang, Central Java.Accompanied by Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Aminuddin Ma'ruf, and Central Java acting governor Nana Sudjana, Gibran reviewed stalls set up by micro, small, and medium enterprises receiving financial support from PT PNM, a subsidiary of Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
The eldest son of former president Joko Widodo was seen conversing with merchants, including those selling meatballs, chicken noodles, chicken satays, a traditional sweet drink dawet, and handicrafts.
"I want you to keep up your spirits. You may obtain additional loans," he told the merchants gathered at Jatidiri Sports Hall in Semarang.
However, he did not deliver a speech at the venue, which he visited after inspecting a trial of the Free Nutritious Meals program at a public vocational high school the same day.
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Meanwhile, PT PNM president director Arief Mulyadi said that Friday's event drew participation from at least three thousand women beneficiaries of the Mekaar program from Semarang city.
He added that PT PNM is currently supporting the businesses of 36,142 people in the city and about two million in Central Java province overall.
"It is true that 100 percent of this program's beneficiaries are mothers. Since 2016, we have been providing them with financing and empowerment support, with the aim of facilitating people to optimize their entrepreneurial capacity and supporting their economy," he said.
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The Mekaar program offers assistance to mothers keen to start a business, mothers interested in reopening their business, and those requiring additional capital for their existing businesses, he added.
"In addition to sustaining the family economy, this program is also expected to help create job opportunities. Some of the beneficiaries have managed to reach overseas markets and employ plenty of workers," Mulyadi informed.
