Koperasi Peduli Rakyat Sejahtera - Smecda

KOPDIT OBOR MAS
Sikka
Life Light at Bukit Sikka
Establishing a cooperation may not be
the goal of Yosef Doing. However,
Yosef, his nick name, who is the Head
of Educational and Cultural Services of Sikka
Regency felt concerned for the fate of Primary
School teachers who were often delayed
in receiving their monthly pay checks.
From there, Yosef with his friends then established
an institution to manage save loan
with members who are Primary School teachers.
This institution is the embryo of cooperation
that later will become ‘the light” of the
community of Sikka Regency.
The story of Yosef concern took place
in 1972. Teachers in Sikka Regency were often
delayed in receiving their pay checks.
Once they even received pay checks once
in three months. On the other hand their daily
needs had to be fulfilled. They, the teachers,
as Civil Servants, had less than enough income.
Consequently, many Civil Servants and
teachers in Sikka Regency utilized loan
sharks’ service as short term solution for daily
life needs. That method was also adopted
without the awareness of the fact that getting
involved with loan shark was actually a
non profitable act.
This fact encouraged Yosef Doing together
with Ramiggus S. Parera, Chairman
of Teacher Working Group in Sikka Regency,
to seek for alternative solution. These two
men then established an “arisan” ( monthly
meeting with the purpose of saving money)
for Primary School teachers. In 1974, to be
exact on November 4, upon Yosef Doing’s
initiative, a Cooperation for Primary School
teachers and Administrative employees of
Educational and Cultural Services with the
name of Obor Mas Credit Union was established.
After operating for 20 years, on October
29, 1994 CU Obor Mas changed its name
to become Credit Cooperation of Obor Mas
or Kopdit Obor Mas. Up to 2008, Kopdit Obor
had had 6,267 members, with the following
details: 4,312 members (69%) are State Civil
Servants and 1,955 members (31%) are the
public. Now this cooperation inhibits a threestorey
luxurious building. Fantastic.
Kopdit Obor Mas services have also been
expanded to provide services in agribusiness/
sector capitalization funding since 1 April 2005.
This has been the largest expansion ever done
by Kopdit Obor Mas within several decades
since it was established. Along with the establishment
of such unit, Kopdit Obor Mas was
given the trust to manage Micro and Small
Entrepreneur Development Program through
Save Loan Cooperation capitalization
strengthening from State Ministry of Cooperation
of the Republic of Indonesia in the amount
of Rp 1 billion. Agribusiness sector development
is the accurate step considering the topography
of Sikka Regency, which mostly is hilly, as
the resource of produce such as variety of vegetable
such as chilly, pecan, vanilla, and others.
Meanwhile, Sikka Regency also has coastal
water area which is potential for fishermen.
Further, such program entrusted Kopdit
Obor Mas to distribute working capital for members
who are engaged in agribusiness sector,
mainly who are engaged in agriculture and
animal farming business fields. For fishermen,
Kopdit Obor Mas created a product in the form
of monthly and quarterly loan with interest rate
of 2.5% IOB or 1.25 flat/month.
There is uniqueness in loan granting to
agribusiness community, mainly to fishermen in
Kawapante District. The administrators use a
box which key is held by a special cooperation
officer. According to Fredianto, the manager of
Kopdit Obor Mas, such policy is adopted since
Agribusiness Unit only serves monthly or quarterly
installment, meanwhile in fishermen culture,
especially Bajo tribe who lives in coastal area,
they still like to save their money in their homes
rather than in financial institutions.
K o p e r a s i P e d u l i , R a k y a t S e j a h t e r a 97