Source: The Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20061214.G02&irec=1
The President on Thursday urged banks to help handicraft producers in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, get back on their feet after a devastating earthquake in May.
Speaking after meeting with producers at the Kasongan handicraft center, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said there was a need for soft loans to help speed up the recovery from the earthquake.
"Providing loans to medium-size businesses has never caused a problem (for banks). In fact, these businesses demonstrated their ability to survive the economic crisis," he said.
The President asked banks to provide loans based on the needs and situation of the handicraft producers.
"But the quality of the handicraft products should also be improved to allow our products to compete with products from other countries," Yudhoyono said.