科图特D.P.尤加 博尼·费彼·贾斯汀
新冠肺炎疫情对全球经济造成了严重的打击,印尼也未能幸免。这样的背景下,各大企业可以采取针对性措施来克服由此产生的各种困难。而对于印尼的中小微企业来说,它们面前也许并没有这样的选项。
疫情之下,许多新增或现存的中小微企业离关门大吉仅咫尺之遥。大部分企业现金流遇到了问题,或者简单来说,就是企业流失了大量的客源。
值得注意的是,尽管疫情暴发,各类中小微企业的数量不降反升。这可能会让人们误认为,中小微企业在疫情大流行期间得以蓬勃发展。然而,这事实上却是大规模裁员或降薪所产生的后果。为了获取额外收入,企业员工纷纷创办各类小型企业。大部分此类小企业都是通过社交媒体网络平台来销售食品和饮料,因为这样的操作简单易行。
中小微企业形势严峻,印尼政府需审时度势
印尼政府充分认识到新冠肺炎疫情对中小微企业所造成的不利影响,印尼合作社和中小企业部部长警告说,可能大约50%的中小微型企业将面临倒闭。
出现这一问题的主要原因是人与人的实际接触机会在减少。大多数中小微企业依靠实体互动与买家和供应商进行接触。如果疫情持续更长时间,大多数中小微企业将需要适应线上市场,并可能难以找到新客户来维持收支平衡。
需要指出的是,中小微企业在印尼经济发展和吸纳人力方面发挥着巨大的作用。因此,帮助这些企业生存下去成为政府关注的重点。为此,印尼政府专门发布了《关于实施国家经济复苏计划的政府条例(2020年第23号)》,旨在实施全国性的经济复苏计划。
该政府计划拟采取若干经济刺激措施,其中部分措施通过银行债券来调配资金。作为回报,银行必须支持债务重组或为有需要的人提供融资。另一项措施是开展投资和发行证券。
这些经济刺激措施对印尼中小微企业来说应该是充满希望的。不过印尼政府部门在落实具体政策方面却一直面临挑战。有关部门没有制订相关的政策实施细则,导致有关债务放松和重组的刺激计划迟迟无法兑现。
各地区政府责无旁贷
印尼人口众多,领土辽阔,不宜照搬其他国家实施的政策。上文提及的经济刺激措施都是从邻国,包括新加坡和马来西亚在内,套用而来。这些政策结合了所在国家的文化特点和基本国情,因地制宜,在相关国家确实行之有效。无论如何,印尼政府在对本国中小微企业制订和实施相关政策时,应充分考虑到本国国民结构多样性这一客观事实。
鉴于此,印尼应充分发挥和体现各地区政府的重要性。应该承认,各地区政府作为属地管理的政府部门,更了解中小微企业在各自辖区内所面临的各种实际问题。因此,各地区政府应该出台本地有针对性的措施,防止出现中小微企业倒闭潮现象。
拟定地区法规的监管范围
各地区政府可颁布惠及中小微企业的法规。其中一种做法是为中小微企业与受疫情影响不大的企业提供法律保障,主要面向满足日常生活需求的企业为主,如农业生产或卫生健康领域等企业。这种合作的目的主要是积极寻求私营企业的援助,以帮助中小微企业渡过难关。
援助可采用经济援助、人员培训或产品开发等多种形式。人员培训可以帮助中小微企业有效应对与数字化营销产生的各类问题。此外,各地区政府也可以借此机会,鼓励各类私营企业主动履行企业社会责任。
其次,相关法规可设定义务要求,优先使用本地中小微企业生产的各类产品,在刺激中小微企业经济发展的同时,促进中小微企业产品的推广普及。这一点显得至关重要,因为如果没有市场带来更大的需求,仅仅对中小微企业提供经济援助和人员培训,相关扶持难以为继。从长远来看,这项举措有助于为中小微企业创造更大的市场空间。
值得注意的是,实施此类政策在商界并非首开先河。不少公私合营的、规模庞大的项目都要求项目业主和承包商在项目所在地采购部分材料。
印尼社会各界应守望相助
另一种情况是,尽管招数尽出,仍然不足以支持中小微企业的发展。这就需要印尼社会各界的积极参与,特别是倡导全社会青年主动介入帮扶大业。身处数字时代,年轻一代往往能更好地理解数字化是世界发展大势所趋,他们也可以最大限度地利用数字交易来获取利润。因此,青年的主動介入可能有助于形成一种趋势,帮助中小微企业促进当地产品的销售。
首先是与有前途的年轻人合作。这些人员会根据各自不同的背景,比如具备在非政府组织或初创企业工作的经历等,对相关合作提供更深入、更有针对性的意见和建议。
此外,专家型人员可以通过提供咨询的方式实施援助。相关的意见和建议主要着眼于解决诸如现金流、营销手段、原材料价格甚至资金落实等专业性问题。这样政府部门在回应中小微企业相关诉求时,就能做到有的放矢、对症下药。
当然,印尼政府需要对上述建议开展进一步的分析研判。有关各方应共同携手合作,以应对所面临的挑战,这是无庸置疑的。面对疫情影响,印尼政府责任重大,应该为有关各方加入扶持中小微企业发展的行动创造积极的条件。
·来源:《亚洲时报》
·编译:张晓雁
People and businesses in Myanmar have all felt the impact of the COVID-19 in one way or another, and there are big and important questions about when and how the economy will recover. But there is a silver lining in how weve all been forced to change our ways in recent months, and that is in the use of technology to speed communications, business and overall economic growth.
Government has been quick to improve public communications since the COVID-19 broke out, and much of this has been delivered online. In what was to many a surprise move, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi used a Facebook page to publish videos with words of encouragement and guidance as part of the governments efforts to fight the COVID-19.
Perhaps inspired by this act of leadership, the governments COVID-19 relief plans include several specific actions that employ technology. One of these actions involves Wave Money partnering with the Social Security Board and other government agencies to disburse COVID-19 relief payments and loans.
Building a platform for a digitally enabled economy requires the cooperation of the private sector and policymakers. But at a more basic level, it requires a workforce with the necessary skills to use technology productively, and to build the next generation of digital business systems, products and communications. While most people in Myanmar have grown up with essentially no access to those skills, we are seeing the start of a positive development here, too. When the COVID-19 broke out, Phandeeyar Institute, our digital skills training academy, launched a remote learning festival featuring more than 30 different digital skills classes online. More than 5,000 people from across Myanmar signed up to participate, mostly young and mid-career professionals interested in acquiring the skills necessary to advance their careers.
All of this shows that were about to see a new wave of digital activity in Myanmar. Now business, government and organisations are embracing the potential of technology to transform how they work, grow and interact with their communities. This second digital moment can be an important part of Myanmars economic and democratic growth when we eventually get past the COVID-19. If business leaders and policymakers continue to recognise this potential and adopt a decisive but responsible strategy for innovation through technology — importantly, one that considers the privacy and rights of users — this could help shape Myanmars economy for decades to come.
We must not underestimate the negative consequences of the COVID-19 on Myanmars economy. Large parts of the private sector are very fragile, and lots of livelihoods are likely to be impacted by a protracted recovery from the pandemic. However, it is important that businesses and the public sector take something positive away from these months of economic strain.
Myanmars silver lining may very well lie in the potential to digitally transform businesses and government by using technology to expand their reach, and make markets stronger, better connected and more efficient. If the past several months have offered a glimpse of what the future may look like, then Myanmars second digital moment will be a yardstick for future economic growth.
· Source: The Myanmar Times