Alhamdulillah, the Anti-Loan-Shark Task Force Helped 200 People Free from Loan Sharks’ Trickery
During January-March 2022, the Anti Moneylender Task Force (Satgas) received reports that 384 people were ensnared by moneylenders in Bandung. As many as 300 people of whom are residents of the city of Bandung.
Throughout January-March 2022, the Anti-Loan-Shark Task Force received reports from 384 people with loan shark issues in Bandung City. A total of 300 people of whom were Bandung City residents.
“There are about 200 people we have helped in their loan shark problems. Some of them were independently addressed, and there were some that we directly mediated in the location,” said the Head of the task force, Saji Sonjaya, Thursday, 17 March 2022.
Saji said that 40% of the people were borrowing money from loan sharks and used it in their business. The rest borrowed it to buy their daily necessities, for tuition, and health services.
The victims were tempted with the ease of borrowing money without reconsidering illogical interest rates.
In fact, Saji said that many loan sharks claimed themselves as a cooperative, so people thought the moneylenders were legal.
“Last year, there were 19 loan sharks claiming as a cooperative when, in fact, they were not. We verified and reported them to the Cooperative Agency. Then, they dealt with these people,” Saji said.
However, Saji said that there was a decrease of loan shark cases compared to last years’, since many people were tricked in online loans.
“Last year, there were many online loan cases. Currently, online loan reports were decreased. We received more cases concerning conventional loan sharks,” he said.
To deal with loan sharks in Bandung City, Saji said that the task force routinely verified the accused data of loan sharks every three months.
“We always verify loan sharks’ data every 3 months. For culprits in cooperatives, we also educate them as to the correct form of cooperatives,” he said.
One of the victims rescued from a loan shark’s trickeries was Tati. The middle-aged woman even mortgaged her house certificate.
“I was desperate, I needed (the money). I even mortgaged my land certificate. It is my first experience getting involved with a loan shark,” Tati said
For months she was troubled with a loan shark, Tati felt depressed. It is unsurprising since her debt of Rp3 million for her business had a high interest rate so she should pay Rp10 million.
“If the debt is not settled, people say they (loan sharks) always scare their borrowers. It was said that the land certificate would be sold to others,” Tati said.
However, now, Tati was freed because of the help from the Anti-Loan-Shark Task Force and its partners.
Responding to this issue, the Acting Mayor of Bandung City, Yana Mulyana, suggested the public not to be tempted by easy accessibility to borrowing money offered by loan sharks.
“Indeed, people oftentimes need instant help. Certainly, when we access legal financial institutions, it involves complicated procedures. It is reasonable for them to be tricked by loan sharks,” Yana said.
Yana hoped that the collaboration between the task force and its partners could free other ‘Tatis’ in Bandung City.
“Listening to Mrs. Tati’s story makes me hope that we could keep being eager to free other ‘Mrs. Tatis’ from loan sharks. Hopefully, the victims could become members of cooperatives, so they could feel more real benefits compared to borrowing to loan sharks,” he hoped.
With the development of cooperatives, Yana also said that the regional revenue (PAD) of Bandung City could recover.
“In 2020, our PAD was negative at 2,28% or declined around 2,8 trillion. Then, in 2021, it grew 3,76%. Hopefully, in 2022, it grows 5,5% at the minimum,” he emphasized. (din)*
The Head of Communication and Informatics Agency of Bandung City
Yayan A. Brilyana
