OJK Calls NTB Public Financial Understanding the Second Highest National

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

MATARAM - The Financial Services Authority (OJK) released the level of public financial understanding in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) reaching 65.45 percent or an increase of 30.8 percent and is the second highest literacy index nationally.

"The data is the result of the National Financial Inclusion Literacy Survey (SNLIK) 2022," said NTB OJK head Rico Rinaldy as quoted from Antara, Wednesday, January 12.

In addition, he said, the public financial inclusion (access) index in NTB also increased significantly by 19.61 percent from 62.73 percent to 82.34 percent.

This shows that the gap in the financial literacy index and inclusion index for the people of NTB is getting smaller, and the awareness of the people of NTB to access formal financial services and products is getting higher.

According to Rico, the increase in the financial literacy and inclusion index for the people of NTB is the result of the OJK's active collaboration with the regional government to encourage regional economic recovery and expand public access to finance through various programs.

Several programs will be carried out in 2022, namely a program against mosque-based loan sharks (Mawar Emas).

This activity was carried out in collaboration with the NTB Regional Financial Access Acceleration Team (TPAKD).

"The Rose Gold program has been attended by 1,410 participants in 10 regencies/cities in NTB," he said.

He added that in the context of accelerating the industrialization program in NTB, OJK is synergizing with the West Nusa Tenggara Industry Office which has launched an Industrial Management Information System (Simanis) which aims to encourage data optimization and provide access to business capital financing for small and medium industries (IKM).

OJK NTB also synergizes with the NTB Education and Culture Office in making the One Account One Student (Kejar) program a success.

In East Lombok, said Rico, OJK is supporting the expansion of the program to eradicate moneylenders through interest-free loans (Develop). The program targeting micro, small and medium enterprises was launched by the East Lombok Regency TPAKD.

OJK NTB has also carried out 39 financial education activities in 2022, both through limited face-to-face meetings and webinars with a total of 9.248 participants including priority targets for 2022, namely MSME players, housewives, communities in disadvantaged, frontier and outermost areas (3T), as well as persons with disabilities.

"The highlight of the activity was the holding of the NTB People's Financial Market in Sumbawa, which was attended by 21 financial service industries and was attended by more than 3.000 visitors," said Rico.