Appendix F: Compilation of Messages, Opening and Closing Remarks

 

= OPENING CEREMONY =

 

1. WELCOMING REMARK BY MS. ESTI ANDAYANI

(NAM CSSTC)

 

Mr. Suprapto, Head of Bureau of International Technical Cooperation, State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia,

Mrs. Dinur Krismasari, Senior Representative of JICA Indonesia Office,

 

 

Distinguished Training Facilitators, Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Good morning,

 

First of all, on behalf of Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC), I am pleased to welcome you all to this Opening Session of the Third Country Training Programme on Microfinance for African Region focusing on the establishment and management of Micro Finance Institution (MFI). Allow me on this occasion to extend my profound appreciation to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and to the State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia for making this third joint endeavour with NAM CSSTC possible.

 

Today we gather here for the Opening Session of the training programme on “Microfinance for African Region: Establishing and Managing MFI” that will be held from 27 October to 11 November 2008 in Jakarta for Class Session and in Yogyakarta for Field Study on the Operational aspects of MFI in providing loan and its management based on the conventional and sharia schemes.

 

As we are aware, this course is conducted jointly by the Government of Indonesia, JICA, and NAM CSSTC, specifically for participants from African Region. In this respect, I would like to inform you that the Government of Indonesia and JICA have signed an Agreement concerning training courses for African region in the field of microfinance, to be implemented in Indonesia for five years, through NAM CSSTC. This Agreement is concluded under JICA’s Third Country Training Programme as the continuation of the First Batch of the similar training subject. The First Batch of the training has been successfully completed from the year of 2004 to 2006, and the Second Batch is underway from the year of 2007 to 2011. The First Phase of the Second Batch had been successfully conducted in November 2007, today’s training course is the implementation of the Second Phase of the Second Batch.

 

Allow me to take this opportunity to share with you brief information about the development of NAM CSSTC. The establishment of NAM CSSTC was initiated by the Governments of Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam during the Summit of Non Aligned Movement in Cartagena, Colombia, in 1995. To date, the Centre has been conducting many programmes and activities since 1999 for capacity building in various fields of development. Its main objective is to strengthen national and collective self-reliance of developing countries, so as to enable them to participate more actively in the era of globalization. NAM CSSTC has been working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and collaborating with the Government of Brunei Darussalam in conducting various capacity building programmes.

 

The NAM CSSTC programmes are designed in line with the priority of these two countries’ foreign policies to support South-South cooperation. Our training programme today is one concrete example and a reflection of this support, with the objective to enhance national and collective self-reliance of the South, especially in the field of microfinance development.

 

We have also concluded several other cooperation agreements with various international organizations and institutions that share common objectives and interests  in capacity building of developing countries, among others, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Special Unit for South-South Cooperation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

 

Our programme today is participated by 10 participants coming from 8 African countries, namely: Algeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. Their professions are ranging from policy makers to practitioners dealing with economics and the microfinance sector. 

 

The objective of this training programme is to provide instant and direct benefits to participants which would hopefully enable them to: (a) comprehend the philosophy of microfinance; (b) explain two different kind of microfinancing services which are conventional and shariah; (c) apply different techniques to develop various microfinancing products; (d) apply appropriate method in establishing and managing MFI operations; (e) develop business plan; (f) gather and learn the experience of different microfinance institutions in different countries, and adopt it for further possible application in the participants’ respective country.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

By objective and its operation, microfinance is about small numbers. With a loan of as little as US$ 50 or 100, a community member can set up a small business that will make a big difference in his or her life. The extra income from that business can mean a secure food supply, medicine for sick family members and education for children. While the amounts may be small, the loans, savings and insurance options offered by microfinance can help poor people overcome poverty themselves.

 

Microfinance has evolved over the past 30 years. Its origins are found in the development projects that experimented with subsidized credit in the 1950s. These credit programmes sought to increase the productivity and incomes of small and marginal entrepreneurs. Most failed. Subsidized loans depleted the capital lending institutions and loans were often not repaid. The funds did not always reach the poorest people, but remained in the hands of more prosperous, larger scale entrepreneurs.

 

More viable experimental programmes appeared in the 1970s. Unlike subsidized lending, they insisted on repayment of loans and they charged interest to cover their costs. There at least two pioneer programmes have been professionally managed by Grameen Bank which provides tiny loans to groups of poorest women in Bangladesh and BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia) which provides micro to medium loans for individuals of the working poors in both urban and rural areas throughout Indonesia.

 

The financing scheme is based on principles of mutual trust and responsibility. Now, through a range of microfinance products, the poor people of the world can build their assets, have stable access to food and other necessities, and protect themselves against risk. Hence, microfinance gives millions of urban and rural men and women an opportunity to find their own solutions. Within this spirit, the Government of Indonesia and JICA are conducting this series of trainings on microfinance.

 

This training course is also in line with our commitment to enhancing  partnership among Asian and African nations, and a reflection of the spirit of New Strategic Partnership resulted from the Asian African Summit held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 2005.

 

I am convinced that the training will be managed appropriately as we have invited competent experts from the state-owned enterprise called Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) which is one of the leading institutions dealing with micro, small, medium enterprises and cooperatives (MSMEC) empowerment action programmes. PNM is a non-bank financial institution established on 1 June 1999 and aimed at fostering development of MSMEC. The formation of PNM is inherent with the government’s efforts to overcome the impacts of economic crisis occurring since 1997. PNM has made a series of strategic steps to seize bright prospect for the vast majority of business community.

 

I do hope you will go through a productive learning process and successful deliberations during the training sessions. And I hope that the experience and skill you gain from this training programme will be beneficial to all of you, especially in carrying out your respective work and contributing to your country development.

 

I thank you.

 

 

2. OPENING REMARK BY MS. DINUR KRISMASARI

(JICA)

 

Mr. Suprapto, Head Bureau for Technical Cooperation of the State Secretariat,

Ms. Esti Andayani, Director of the Non-Aligned Movement Center for South-South Technical Cooperation, Director of Technical Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

            On behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), it is my great pleasure to say a few words on the opening ceremony of the Third Country Training Program on Microfinance for African Region which is jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of Japan through JICA.

            First of all, I would like to extend our warmest welcome to all participants who have made efforts to be here with us.  At the same time, I also would like to take this opportunity to express our greatest appreciation to the officials concerned from the State Secretariat, Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC), other related organizations of the Government of Indonesia, and all members of the Organizing Committee who support this training. Taking this opportunity, we also would like to inform you that JICA has restructured as New JICA which provides technical cooperation, grant aid and yen loan.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            Under the policy to promote the South-South Cooperation, JICA has been providing opportunities for Indonesian, African, Asian and Japanese people to know each other, work together, and learn more about each other as partners through our cooperation activities.  We believe that international cooperation based on this kind of mutual understanding would provide valuable opportunities to focus our attention on peaceful coexistence and solidarity with the rest of the world as the key solution of global issues in this century.

 

            This year marks as the 2nd stage of the Third Country Training Program on “Microfinance Institution” for African Region which will focus on institutional aspects of microfinance.  The purposes of the training are to share and to disseminate knowledge on microfinance through case studies, role plays, group exercises and discussions.

 

            In line with JICA’s approaches to poverty eradication, our program combines great important activities that could contribute directly and indirectly to developing countries, since you might know that microfinance is globally considered as one of the important and effective tools for poverty alleviation. Microfinance provides poor people with easy access to financial services including credit and savings. This is in line with JICA’s approach on Human Security in which protection and empowerment of people should be synergy.  Moreover, it helps them to increase their income and decrease their vulnerability to various risks, and contributes the empowerment of the poor.  I realize that the condition and level of poverty are different in each country.  However, through this training program, I do hope that you will be able to acquire some ideas and/or lessons in order to create the best program or policy for your own countries.

            This program is properly arranged to conduct both discussions and observations for comparative studies on similar conditions of your respective countries.  Besides classroom activities, you will also have an opportunity to visit several parts of this beautiful country, Indonesia, as a part of your training program.  I believe that through these activities, you will have experience and enhance your understanding of the essence of microfinance. I hope that you can fully utilize these opportunities to acquire information and knowledge as much as possible which are related to the appropriate application of microfinance in your countries.  Assisting in your achievement of these objectives, JICA will make every effort for the smooth and effective implementation of the program.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of the officials concerned from the Government of Indonesia for their wholehearted efforts to implement this training program.

            May I close my address by wishing you all every success, good health and an enjoyable stay in this beautiful country, Indonesia.

 

            Thank you very much and good luck to everyone.

 

 

3. OPENING REMARK BY MR. SUPRAPTO DJOGOIKROMO

(STATE SECRETARIAT)

 

Ass. Wr. Wb. Good  Morning

Honorable Ms. Esti Andayani, Director of Non-Aligned Movement Center for South-south Technical Cooperation and Director of  Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs                                

 

Honorable Ms. Dinur Krismasari, Senior Representative of JICA Indonesia Office

 

Honorable Mr. Achmad Rofi’ie, Assistant Director for Program NAM-CSSTC

 

Distinguished guests, resources Persons, participants of the “Third Country Training Program on Micro Finance for African Region”, ladies and gentlemen

 

First of all, we thank the Almighty God for His blessing and guidance which enables us to be here together this morning to witness the official opening of this Third Country Training Program on Micro Finance for African Region. which is organized by the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Japan under Third Country Training Program of Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA and implemented at the Non Aligned Movement Center for South-south Technical Cooperation.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

On behalf of the State Secretariat and as the National Focal Point for Third Country Training Program in Indonesia, let me extend to all foreign participants a warm welcome to Indonesia. I hope that your stay in Indonesia will be a pleasant one and that the training will also be a success.

 

We are particularly honored to co-host this training not only because of importance of the subject matter, but also because it enables us to welcome so many friends from other developing countries to Indonesia.

 

Distinguished Participants,

 

Indonesian government has been implementing various Third Country Training Program since 1981 or three years after the famous Buenos Aires Plan of Action on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries was adopted. The implementation of Third Country Training Program is a reflection of Indonesian commitment to implement Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries or South-South Technical Cooperation through third party arrangement, which recommend by the Buenos Aires Plan of Action on TCDC. The involvement of the Government of Japan through JICA in the implementation of Third Country Training Program also shows their commitment to the south-south cooperation, and since then Indonesia has organized more than 45 training programs.

 

By organizing those training, we are not only able to share Indonesia’s development experiences, but also at the same time, we are able to exchange knowledge and information on other country experiences. These are no doubt is the most important in developing human resources among the developing countries.

 

Human resources are most important. It can be a big challenge, yet it can open up opportunities. When we talk about human resources, at least there are thee important elements that we should consider: first is the ability, second is motivation and third is dedication. Without having motivation you will not have dedication. Having the ability without motivation, you will not go far. The combined of the three elements will provide us with human resources that have initiative, creativity, innovation and toughness, which at the end will provide with good results.

 

Distinguished participants

 

During your stay in Indonesia or attending the program, each participants will work hand in hand and communicate with other participants and committee members, therefore through human relations, we can know each other better, we can share our cultures, our customs, our system, and may be to some extend our languages. By knowing each other better, then we can reach mutual understanding. And through mutual understanding hopefully we can solve our common problems.

 

 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

 

On this occasion on behalf of the State Secretariat I would like to extend my appreciation to the Director and other officials from NAM-CSSTC, for their strong support and keen interest in this training program.

 

Our high appreciation is also addressed to the Government of Japan as well as JICA for their support and contribution to this training program and in promoting and strengthening South-South Technical Cooperation activities in Indonesia.

 

I wish also to thank all officials involved in the preparation of this program, I particular to the organizing committee for all their efforts to ensure the smooth implementation of the program.

 

Distinguished participants,

 

I would like to congratulate you on your selection as participants to this training program. I hope that the experience and skill you will gain from the training program will be beneficial to all of you especially in carrying out your duties in your respective countries.

 

Your coming to Indonesia through which, you will be able to see this country and its people better and later on can play a very significant role in promoting a closer cooperation between our countries and your respective countries.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, finally as requested by the organizing committee on behalf of the Government of Indonesia I hereby declare that the TCTP on Microfinance for African Region is officially opened.

 

Good Luck, I wish you every success and may God Blessing You,

Thank you,

WS.  WR. WB

  

  

= CLOSING CEREMONY =

 

1. CLOSING REMARK BY MR. COLIN AGABALINDA

(UGANDA)

 

Bismillah Rahman Rahim

 

1. Officials from Government of the Peoples Republic of Indonesia

2. Officials from Government of Japan Represented by JICA

3. Director, Management and Staff of NAM CSST Centre

4. Our Dear Facilitators from the PNM

5. Fellow Participants

6. Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Asalaam Alei Kum, Alahu Madulirahi Wa Barakaatu

 

I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled by this opportunity to pass a vote of thanks on behalf of the participants. I therefore on my own behalf and on behalf of all the participants, wish to extend our gratitude to: -

 

First and Foremost,

 

1.      The Government of the Esteemed Peoples Republic of Indonesia and

2.      The Government of  Japan Represented by JICA

 

…… for sponsoring this programme and particularly for having nominated us to attend the training. The training has accorded us a unique opportunity not only to study the Indonesian Microfinance Success Story and Microfinance best management practices, but also a great opportunity to share experiences from eight (8) different African Countries.  We appreciate that a lot of resources have been committed by the two governments for the training and we are indeed very grateful

 

Secondly,

 

On behalf of the participants, I would like to thank the NAM CSST Centre for the very effective coordination of the programme and the administrative and logistical preparations. Your great efforts have indeed made our stay in Indonesia very comfortable and extremely memorable.

 

Further,

On behalf all the participants I would like to convey our deep appreciation to all the facilitators from the PNM that have relentlessly laboured through the past two weeks to help us comprehend the topics that they delivered with great humility, mastery of the content. To you our facilitators, we say …Thank You so much

 

Additionally,

 

We want to thank all the staff at NAM Centre Hotel, The Staff at Ibis Hotel in Jokja, Our Tour Guides on the Bus, Drivers, The MFI Staff and SMEs we visited and all those wonderful people of Indonesia whose names I can not recount fully. We are so grateful for the amazing hospitality, warmth and courtesy. To all of you we say….Terima Kasi…..Because of your kindness and warmth to us, each one of us shall always look back with nostalgia and say ……AKU CINTA INDONESIA. You have turned all of us into ambassadors of Indonesia – Wherever we are, we shall tell others about the beautiful people of Indonesia. 

 

To all of you, we ask that you forgive us where we have not lived to the expectations of visitors and good participants.

 

Last but not least,

 

I want to thank all my fellow participants for the cooperation and togetherness exhibited during the stay here in Indonesia.

 

Apart from saying “thank you”,

 

We as participants would like to affirm to the sponsors, implementers and facilitators our commitment to putting into practice what we have learnt during this training. To borrow the words of Barak Obama – President Elect of USA, allow me to say these words: “because of what you have done for us during this training…….change will come to Microfinance Industry in our countries in Africa”

 

Thank you very much…Terima Kasi

 

Asalaam Alei Kum, Alahu Madulirahi Wa Barakaatu

 

 

2. CLOSING REMARK BY MS. ESTI ANDAYANI

(NAM CSSTC)

 

Mrs. Dinur Krismasari, Senior Representative of JICA Indonesia Office

Trainers, Facilitators and Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Good Afternoon,

 

I am pleased to see you today -- our last day of the second phase of the second batch of the training programme on microfinance for African region. As we have been together for almost three weeks, we finally have come to the end of the programme.  We should be glad that during the last sixteen days we were able to learn many different things from each other.

 

I noted particularly that on the first day in the class, participants have worked extensively to share many relevant issues of microfinance development in their respective countries as the important part of the learning process. No doubt, the participants’ country reports have been important references for this training course.

 

We also observed the implementation of the training programme, from session to session, and conducted careful and critical post-class and post-field surveys of conducted session. We believe that, based on our overall evaluation we openly discussed this morning, the expectations of the participants have been satisfactorily met.

 

In this respect, allow me to commend all of you, trainers, resource persons, facilitators, participants and the organizing committee, for their remarkable contribution to the successful undertaking of this training programme.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

To briefly review this second phase of the second batch of the third country training programme, allow me to inform you that there are 10 participants coming from 8 countries, namely Algeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.

 

The training subjects of this course are framed by eight main modules, namely (1) General Overview on the Indonesian Economy and Banking System; (2) Microfinance Development; (3) Establishment and Management of MFI; (4) Financial Strategy; (5) Business and Strategic Planning; (6) Accounting for MFI; (7) Management Information System; and (8) Introduction and Exercises on Loan Application and Management of Two Different MFIs’ Practices which are the Conventional and Shariah Financing Schemes.

 

In order to enrich and widen perspective of microfinance operational aspects, the participants have had a chance to visit microfinance project sites in Yogyakarta. During the visit, participants had the opportunity to exchange views, and discuss with the local practitioners the, namely Rural Credit Bank of Danagung Bakti and the Sharia Financial Institute of Beringharjo, about microfinance issues and basic technical supports required.

 

During their stay in Yogyakarta, participants had also a chance to visit three places of interest, namely the Palace of Sultan Hamengkubuwono, Hindu Temple of Prambanan, and Budhist Temple of Borobudur.

 

At the end of the training session, the participants have prepared and presented their ‘Back-Home Plan’ to prove that they have been fully aware of the knowledge about operational and the institutional aspects of microfinance and maintained commitment to supporting microfinance development in their respective countries. It is encouraging that some of the Plans need further assistance of NAM CSSTC and PNM.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I do believe, the participants have really been able to learn not only the important subjects of the course, but also to exchange experiences in the practices of microfinance in their countries – during the class and field sessions as well as during lunch and coffee breaks

 

Along this line, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude, on behalf of NAM CSSTC, to all training instructors and facilitators from PNM Jakarta -- especially to Mr. Didi Hendriansyah the training coordinator -- for his valuable contribution during the class sessions, and to the officials of PNM Yogyakarta – especially to Mrs. Heny Dwi Susianti -- Mrs. Mursida Rambe, the Director of BMT Beringharjo, her staff and field teamwork, as well as Mr. Tedy Alamsyah, President Director of BPR Danagung Bakti, his staff and field teamwork, who have substantively provided us with various microfinance technical support practices at the operational level. I also appreciate the complementary information given by the very productive clients of those two MFIs -- especially the small-scale Batik producer who exports the natural dyestuff-based carefully handcrafted batik materials to Japan and the small-scale very creative artisan producing thousand varieties of ornaments which have been successfully marketed not only in Yogyakarta but also throughout Java, Bali, Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands. Indeed, those small-scale entrepreneurs have been benefiting from the provision of microfinance.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

With good teamwork, we have successfully implemented this training for which we highly appreciate our endless supporting colleagues at the organizing committee, PNM Jakarta and PNM Yogyakarta.

 

Profound gratitude should also go to the State Secretariat and JICA Indonesia Office for their support and continued cooperation that made this training programme possible. I’m fully convinced that the second phase of the second batch of this course has been completed successfully, and will contribute positively to the development of microfinance in African region.

 

Finally, I wish you all the best to foreign participants, have a safe journey home, bon voyage. I hope all of you would bring home wonderful memories of Indonesia and NAM CSSTC. 

 

Thank you.

 

3. CLOSING REMARK BY MS. DINUR KRISMASARI

(JICA)

 

Excellency Ibu Esti Andayani, the Director of the NAM CSSTC 

Dear All training Participants and Member of Training Committee

 

Good Afternoon

 

First of all, allow me to express my deep appreciation to the NAM CSSTC as well as the State Secretariat of the Government of Indonesia for successful organizing highly substantive training program on “Establishing and Managing Micro Finance Institution” as part of JICA’s cooperation for supporting Indonesian and other developing countries to be actively engagement on South-South Cooperation.

To all of participants, I am really happy to meet all of you again and I would like to say “congratulation” after completing all training sessions with my deep respect for your continued keeping the spirit and cooperation with all of the lecturers and the committee member during the program.

 

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

            As an institution whose vision for creating “Inclusive and Dynamic Development”, with its mission on “reducing poverty through equitable growth” and “Achieving Human Security”, JICA should takes a special concern on micro finance that has been recognized as a powerful tool for poverty reduction through promoting community empowerment towards building social entrepreneurship for creating both social and economic values for the welfare of the grass root and vulnerable people in developing countries.

            Through this training, I believe all of you have obtained the knowledge and experience from Indonesia in dealing and managing micro finance institutions with abundant of varieties model such as micro banking, cooperative, non banking as well as non cooperative including shariah system.

 

Dear All of participants,

            I am realistic enough that this training with very short period is really effective to strengthen your knowledge and capacity building but this effort only will not be sufficient enough to contribute on reducing poverty in your countries.

In this conjunction, I sincerely hope that through the action plan and experience that you have gained, could inspire you to create more initiative in developing real creative and innovative action through modification the methods and disseminating the concept so that could fit into practical use at your local condition purposes.  I also hope that all of you could continue to keep in touch with representative of JICA as well as Indonesian Embassies in your countries for further necessary cooperation in scaling up and spreading up this achievement so that could contribute for social and economic development of your countries.  I am looking forward to hearing from you such remarkable progress you make for your country after you return, since I believe that this real impact could be as evidence to launch the success of this training program.

 

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

Through this training, I hope that all of you could establish a network through e-mail forum among professionals who concern on Micro Finance across the Asian and African countries and will be appreciated if NAM CSSTC also facilitated by included lecturers and past participants of this training.   I believe though this network, we could continue exchange views and knowledge for support each other and build a real friendship as important foundation for the soul of real south-south cooperation especially promoting a better relationship and cooperation between Asia and Africa to fight the poverty together for the future’s welfare of our people.

Finally, wishing all of you every success, good health and future prosperity and Have a safe journey to your home.

Before I close my address, as requested by the Committee, on behalf of JICA I would like to declare that today, November 11, 2008, the Training on Establishing and Managing Micro Finance officially close. 

 

God Bless You and Thank you very much.