AR Mecer: Road to better living the Kalimantan way

Edi Petebang ,  Contributor ,  Pontianak   |  Wed, 12/02/2009 11:05 AM  |  People

Courtesy of AR Mecer

Ask him about credit unions, and Anselmus Robertus Mecer’s face will break into a beaming smile.

Since 1982, the man has dedicated his life to developing credit unions, cooperative units that provides loans and other services to their members.

The 65-year-old could not help but feel proud, as he is finally reaping the benefits of years of hard work.

Until the middle of this year, he has helped set up and developed 58 cooperative units across the country, from Papua to Batam on the Riau Islands province. Overall, his credit unions include 547,965 members with total assets of Rp 3.6 trillion.

His success made him popular among the union’s members, earning him the nickname of the “walking credit union”.

The secret of his success lies in his ability to create financial products suited to the needs of locals, their lifestyle and philosophy of life.