RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has officially launched a comprehensive emergency relief framework designed to resurrect micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) devastated by recent natural disasters in Sumatra. Following a high-level meeting between the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Ministry of MSMEs on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, officials confirmed that key legal bottlenecks preventing state-owned banks (Himbara) from deploying aid have been resolved.

Minister of MSMEs, Maman Abdurrahman, announced that the enactment of a new Ministerial Regulation and Financial Services Authority (OJK) guidelines on 13 January 2026, now provides the essential "legal umbrella" for financial institutions. This regulatory breakthrough allows for immediate debt relief and fresh capital injections for affected entrepreneurs in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

“As of 13 January, the regulation regarding disasters and relaxation, guidelines for post-disaster People’s Business Credit (KUR) implementation in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have been issued,” he stated.

The minister outlined a structured three-stage recovery roadmap that extends through December 2027. Under this plan, the government will conduct a comprehensive data mapping period until March 31, followed by a formal relaxation phase offering debt restructuring, grace periods, and capital top-ups running from April 1 until the end of 2027.

A concurrent recovery acceleration phase is already underway to ensure immediate field impact. Beyond immediate liquidity support, the administration is pursuing deeper financial interventions, including debt erasure and write-offs for business owners whose assets were completely destroyed.

To secure these measures, the OJK is coordinating with the DPR to refine the Financial Sector Omnibus Law (UU P2SK), ensuring that state-owned banks can execute debt forgiveness without legal risk. This multi-year commitment underscores the government’s priority to stabilize the regional economy and protect the livelihoods of small-scale producers.