Jokowi Appoints Airlangga To Be Daily Chairperson Of The Financial Inclusion Council, What Is That?

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appointed Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto as the Daily Chairperson of the National Council for Financial Inclusion in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 114/2020 concerning the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (SNKI).

Reported by Antara, Airlangga in his written statement in Jakarta, Sunday, December 13, said that the target of the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion is all segments of society with a focus on low-income communities, and cross-group communities and MSME actors.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to increase the level of financial inclusion are also important so that people really get direct access to financial products and services so that they can be assured of receiving cash social assistance from the government appropriately.

"The direct distribution of cash social assistance to recipient bank accounts, for example, makes the benefits of the realization of the National Economic Recovery program immediately felt by low-income people as well as micro and small business actors," he said.

Meanwhile, for people in disadvantaged areas, borders and outer islands, the new SNKI Presidential Decree will also accommodate the synergy of financial inclusion policies between the central and regional governments in increasing access to formal financial services equally.

"Through the new SNKI Pepres, it will encourage strengthening access to capital and development support for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), as well as strengthening the integration of economic activities and inclusive finance through digital financial services as part of efforts to achieve financial inclusion goals," said Airlangga.

The government launched the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (SNKI) in 2016. Three years later, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) noted that Indonesia's financial inclusion index had reached 76.19 percent, exceeding the target set by the President of the Republic of Indonesia as Chair of the National Council for Financial Inclusion by 75 percent .

This means that currently at least 76.19 percent of the total adult population in Indonesia has used formal financial services.