As a sea product trader, Syaripuddin prefers to help fishermen rather than enrich himself. He does not want fishermen to become ensnared by loan sharks. Since 2000, he has provided loans for fishermen in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, to support their fishing activities.
By
Jumarto Yulianus
·6 minutes read
KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS
Syaripuddin
As a sea product trader, Syaripuddin, 56, prefers to help fishermen rather than enrich himself. He does not want fishermen to become ensnared by loan sharks. Since 2000, he has provided loans for fishermen in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, to support their fishing activities. The loans for the fishermen are interest-free, non-binding and can be repaid in installments at any time.
At present, no fewer than 70 fishermen are boat owners who are in direct contact with Syaripuddin, who is familiarly called Haji Punding. They surely will come to Syaripuddin if they have any financial difficulties prior to going out to sea. Each boat needs Rp 10 million to Rp 15 million before going to the sea.
“Some fishermen still have financial difficulties to go out to sea. If they get no assistance, they cannot work. Because of that, as long as the fishermen want to work, I will help,” said the bespectacled man at his seafood warehouse in Kotabaru on Tuesday (23/10/2018).
Syaripuddin realizes that it is not easy for fishermen to obtain bank loans. In addition to the requirements that they must fulfill, they are also burdened with the obligation to pay interest.
If they turn to loan sharks, they will be increasingly choked by high interest. In fact, the catches of fishermen is uncertain.
“I know how fishermen live. Most are in a sad condition, far from prosperous. I don\'t want to burden them with interest and various requirements. They have to meet one requirement, namely they want to work or want to go out to sea,” he said.
Syaripuddin not only provides loans or financing for fishermen\'s operational activities, but also for various other needs, such as boat repairs and boat engine replacement. He also helps the needs of the fishermen’s family, such as children’s school fees and home renovations.
The mechanism for loan repayment is made with the fishermen and their families depositing their catches in the form of fish, shrimp and squid to Syaripuddin. The catch is accepted by Syaripuddin according to market prices.
For the catches other than fish, shrimp and squid, I let them sell to others, he said.
Not binding
According to Syaripuddin, the loans he extends are not binding at all. That is, even though fishermen are obliged to deposit their catch with him to repay the loan or pay installments, they are still free to sell their catch to other traders, especially those who offer higher prices.
“I never forced them to sell their catch to me. They are free to sell to any trader. However, as far as possible I will definitely offer the highest price,” said the father of two.
Often, the catch from one trip out to sea is not enough to pay off a loan. If this happens, payment of the remaining debt can be deferred without interest or additional fees. The remainder of the loan can be repaid at any time. “If fishermen are not able to repay the loan but want to go back out to sea, I still help,” he said.
According to Syaripuddin, the total funds that have been disbursed to help fishermen in the past 18 years are estimated at Rp 2 billion. Some of the fishermen that he has helped have succeeded and have become independent. “I am happy to be able to help fishermen. As a result, my business also runs smoothly,” he said.
Former employee
Before becoming a sea product trader, Syaripuddin worked for an export shrimp processing company. Syaripuddin worked in finance. “I was an employee for 18 years,” he said.
Through his work at the company, the graduate of SMEA vocational school in Kotabaru, majoring in economics, became familiar with the world of marine and fisheries. Syaripuddin, who comes from a farming family, slowly became familiar with the lives of fishermen.
As soon as he stopped working for the company, Syaripuddin pioneered a seafood product business, dealing in shrimp, fish and squid. He supplies the products to several export-oriented companies.
“To develop the business, I applied for a bank loan. However, I do not extend the same kind of loans as banks to the fishermen. It would be too burdensome for them,” he said.
The loans provided by Syaripuddin to fishermen are not always easy to repay. Some of them sometimes get stuck in repayments until there is no news about them. “I don’t like to collect debt. I never go to their houses to take the money back. I just wait for their awareness [to repay their loans],” he said.
In 2017, Syaripuddin said he was shocked by the arrival of someone who wanted to pay off his father’s loan of Rp 15 million. The father had borrowed the money in 2002. The son came to pay off the debt after his father had died.
“When he handed over Rp 15 million, I returned Rp 5 million. I didn\'t want it to be burdensome for him, especially because his father had died,” Syaripuddin said.
Syaripuddin said sometimes the loans he extended to fishermen were not repaid in full. “If someone gets hit by a disaster, let alone dies, I declare the debt settled,” he said.
Agus Riyadi, 32, a fisherman in Kotabaru, said he had been greatly helped by a loan from Syaripuddin. “I and my friends have been going out to sea for a year with loans from Pak Haji Punding. When we go to out sea, we receive a loan of up to Rp 30 million,” said the crew member of KM Berkat Sekumpul.
According to Agus, their catch has always been enough to repay the loan. In fact, they are still profitable. “For one week of fishing in the sea, I can get profit of Rp 800,000 to Rp 1 million,” said the father of three.
According to Syaripuddin, some people consider his help for fishermen a form of application of the Islamic financial system. “In fact, I do not know about the Islamic financial system. All I have done is help and empower fishermen,” Syaripuddin said.
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