The micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of Indonesia are an interesting phenomenon. Why? Well, let’s take a look at three remarkable statistics:

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Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), one of the leading commercial banks in Indonesia, is expected to see rising corporate earnings in the years ahead supported by the disbursement of micro-loans. RHB OSK Securities says BRI, listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange yet state-controlled, is one of the most interesting banks as it has a strong micro-loans business model, a business model that cannot be easily copied by the nation's other commercial banks.

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Although generally credit growth in Indonesia has been weak so far this year, disbursement of micro credit (in Indonesian: Kredit Usaha Rakyat, or KUR) has been solid in the first eight months of the year. KUR is a government-sponsored subsidy offered to the country’s smallest entrepreneurs (for example street food vendors). Through KUR, Indonesia’s commercial banks can provide working capital at lower interest rates (compared to most other micro loans). This is made possible by an insurance plan involving state-owned insurance firms Perum Jamkrindo and Askrindo.

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The government of Indonesia unveiled the last installment of a series of three stimulus packages on Wednesday (07/10). The first two installments had been unveiled last month. In general, these stimulus packages aim to boost economic growth of Indonesia (which has slowed to a six-year low) and restore investors' confidence in the Indonesian rupiah and stocks. When markets believed that the Federal Reserve would soon raise its key interest rate, Indonesia was plagued by severe capital outflows pushing the rupiah to a 17-year low.

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