Will Face Various Financial Issues, Commitment Of OJK Commissioner Candidates Will Be Tested

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Commission XI of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia will soon schedule a fit and proper test for the candidate for commissioner of the Financial Services Authority (OJK). Member of Commission XI of the DPR RI, Heri Gunawan, said that the candidates for OJK commissioners will face real challenges in the financial services sector that are not easy. His commitment and integrity will be tested against all these challenges. Heri highlighted the issue of commitment and integrity.

"There are 14 candidates that will be proposed by the President to the DPR. The challenges are, for example, the issue of online loans (pinjol), insurance, banking intermediation has not yet recovered, the still low portion of MSME loans, the large outstanding credit restructuring due to COVID-19, and capital market problems. "Heri said in his statement to the media, Saturday, March 26.

According to data, he continued, public complaints increased sharply. If in 2017 there were only 25,742 complaints, in 2021 it increased by 2,213 percent to 595,521 complaints. The complaints include, among others, fintech/pinjol, banking, and insurance. A significant increase in complaints indicates that more and more people feel that financial institutions have harmed them.

"Even from the data, there are those who decide to commit suicide because they can't stand the pressure of debt collectors," he added.

He also cites Article 4 of Law Number 21 of 2011 concerning the Financial Services Authority (UU OJK) which states that the OJK was formed so that all financial services sector activities are carried out in an orderly, fair, transparent and accountable manner. Then, able to realize a financial system that grows in a sustainable and stable manner. And no less important, able to protect the interests of consumers and society. According to him, the problem that now needs to be responded to is the lack of strengthening of the role of banking intermediation.

"In 2018, bank credit soared to 11.82 percent. However, in 2019 it began to decline to 6.08 percent. In 2020, the presence of Covid-19 was further submerged to minus 2.41 percent. And in 2021, an increase began to occur. 5.24 percent," he explained.

Bank credit, he continued, is the blood of the economic system. Its flow will strengthen economic growth, provide jobs, and reduce unemployment and poverty. He reminded, the poverty and unemployment rate in Indonesia is still high. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), in 2021, the unemployment rate will reach 9.1 million people. Meanwhile, the poverty rate reached 26.50 million people.

"Therefore, the candidates for the OJK Board of Commissioners, especially the Chief Executive of the Banking Supervision, need to prepare a strategy to boost banking credit growth so that it can have a positive impact on economic growth and reduce unemployment and poverty," concluded Heri.