Rise Indonesia

Author: Rise Indonesia

  • Beyond the city limits: Platform livelihood in rural Indonesia

    Beyond the city limits: Platform livelihood in rural Indonesia

    While much has been written and said about the Indonesian platform economy active in and around Jakarta and the other major urban centers, most research ignores rural areas likely under the assumption that there is no platform economy to speak off beyond the city limits. Our research started off as an investigation of why platforms don’t work in rural areas but our initial explorations showed that, in fact, there is a nascent but growing rural ecosystem nurtured by the viral growth of the major e-commerce platforms seeping beyond the urban centers as well as the emergence of platforms who are specialized in the agricultural and fisheries sectors based in rural areas.

    The observation that rural Indonesians are increasingly participating in the digital economy caused us to refocus our work on understanding this emerging rural platform ecosystem. This study seeks to better understand the growth of digital platforms in rural areas of Indonesia, beyond urban centers. The goal is to provide insights that can guide interventions to promote the development of and inclusiveness of rural, platform-based sectors, thereby enhancing social status, economic outcomes and financial inclusion in the rural populations that they increasingly serve.

    Our study focuses on four key sectors in the rural Indonesian economy where digital platforms are most prevalent in reaching outside of major city centers: agriculture, fisheries, e-commerce, and social commerce. We explore the dynamics of for-profit platform business models that are showing potential in supporting rural livelihoods across these sectors. We also seek to shed light on the experiences, characteristics, growth potential, utilization, and barriers faced by the platform sellers in towns and rural areas. Additionally, we examine the intersection between platform-based livelihoods and financial inclusion, and the impact that platform engagement can have on the uptake and usage of digital financial services, particularly among rural women. Finally, we discuss promising intervention pathways that policymakers, providers and donors could target to enhance inclusion in Indonesia’s rural platform ecosystem, with a focus on improving gender equality.

    Full report could be downloaded here:
    Beyond the city limits: Platform livelihood in rural Indonesia

  • Happy New Year 2025

    Happy New Year 2025

    Our journey through 2024 has strengthened our belief that the potential to advance Indonesia’s villages lies within the villagers themselves. RISE Indonesia takes pride in witnessing MSME entrepreneurs, farmers, village cadres, and local students stepping up as capable facilitators of financial inclusion in rural areas.

    With this spirit, we welcome the new year with optimism that financial services will continue to expand their reach to rural communities in the years to come.

    Happy New Year 2025!

  • How Digital Wallet Training Programs are Empowering Entrepreneurs in Padarincang

    How Digital Wallet Training Programs are Empowering Entrepreneurs in Padarincang

    How Digital Wallet Training Programs are Empowering Entrepreneurs in Padarincang

    Mamah Aprilia, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from Padarincang Village, Serang Regency, has spent a decade building her small business: a modest grocery store that today offers diverse goods, from jengkol (dogfruit) crackers and melinjo chips, to affordable Wi-Fi services for the local children. Recently, her journey took a significant leap forward when she embraced the use of digital wallets for her operations.

    Mamah Aprilia’s initial apprehension towards digital financial services stemmed from concerns about transaction risks and a lack of familiarity with digital platforms. This changed when she attended the RISE Indonesia MSE Digitalization Training in September 2024. Held at SDN 1 Padarincang as part of the Indonesian Financial Services Authority’s (OJK) Financial Inclusion Ecosystem (EKI) program, the training welcomed 91 micro and small enterprise (MSE) participants from various sectors, including culinary, agribusiness, retail, and services like tailoring and workshops.

    The program, inaugurated by Padarincang Village Head Iyus Pariyadi, aimed to equip local businesses with essential digital skills. With the help of local trainers who hailed from different backgrounds — small and medium business entrepreneurs, local clinic workers, students, and contract-based village staff members — and who had received prior training from RISE, participants were able to join interactive classes focusing on two key areas: digital marketing and non-cash transactions.

    Learning to Embrace Digital Tools

    For Mamah Aprilia, the sessions taught her to effectively use her digital wallet account. She was able to familiarize herself with transfer features as well as other features for streamlining transactions, all of which ultimately helped her eliminate the risk of receiving counterfeit money. Since the training, she has also leveraged her e-wallet balance to expand her business operations, offering services such as selling mobile phone credit and electricity tokens.

    Additionally, knowing how to use her digital wallet account has also helped with ensuring smoother payments with a specific demographic of her customers: students from the local Islamic boarding school. Prior to the training, it was common for students to accumulate debt at her shop without a clear payment plan. She only accepted cash, and her students are more often than not cashless. The workshop gave her the confidence to finally accept digital payments. This meant parents of the students finally had a much simpler access to Mamah Aprilia and could simply transfer the amount the student owed. At least 15 students are now regulars with a monthly payment plan at her store, which allows them to buy food and snacks and pay by transfer at the end of each month. The process has been so seamless that several parents have also started transferring their children’s allowance through Mamah Aprilia.

    The training also introduced Mamah to digital marketing strategies. The more she shared updates about her products on WhatsApp status, the more she saw demand for her store. Orders for jengkol and melinjo chips were now coming in from customers beyond her neighborhood.

    “I am happy with the training and the visits from mentors. It adds insight and knowledge, like being back in school. Now, I can use my phone for more useful purposes,” Mamah said, adding that having local trainers made the session ideal as there was an established sense of trust.

    A Broader Impact on the Community

    Mamah Aprilia’s journey has had a ripple effect on her community. Her affordable Wi-Fi services have enabled local children to access online educational resources, bridging a critical gap in the village. Her success story has also inspired fellow MSE owners to embrace digital tools, fostering a spirit of innovation and growth.

    The RISE Indonesia training sessions offered hands-on support tailored to the varying levels of digital proficiency among participants. For those new to digital marketing, trainers provided guidance on setting up accounts, managing online presence, and creating impactful content. More experienced participants received advanced tips to refine their strategies. In the non-cash transactions sessions, entrepreneurs unfamiliar with e-wallets learned the basics, while seasoned users explored new functionalities to enhance their operations.

    The collaborative environment of the training allowed participants to exchange ideas, share challenges, and discuss successes, creating a supportive network. Mamah Aprilia’s story exemplifies the profound impact of digital tools and training programs on small businesses. With initiatives like RISE Indonesia leading the way, Padarincang Village is on a promising path toward digital inclusion, empowering entrepreneurs to unlock new opportunities and drive community development.

     

     

     

  • Rapat Koordinasi Wilayah TPAKD 2024

    Rapat Koordinasi Wilayah TPAKD 2024

    Rapat Koordinasi Wilayah TPAKD 2024

    TPAKD terus menjadi ujung tombak koordinasi akses keuangan daerah di tingkat Provinsi dan Kabupaten. Hingga 2024 telah terbentuk 495 TPAKD Tingkat Kabupaten dan 36 TPAKD Tingkat Provinsi. Pada 2 Juli dan 28 Agustus 2024 OJK telah melaksanakan Rapat Koordinasi Wilayah Barat, Tengah dan Timur di Batam dan Makassar. Dalam rapat-rapat yang dihadiri oleh semua TPAKD Tingkat Provinsi, RISE telah turut hadir sebagai pengamat yang turut memberi masukkan.

    Dalam rapat koordinasi masing-masing TPAKD telah melaporkan berbagai kegiatan mendorong literasi dan inklusi keuangan di tiap daerah dan menyampaikan tantangan, solusi dan saran untuk terus memperbaiki forum koordinasi akses keuangan tersebut.  Salah satu saran adalah adanya alat monitoring terukur yang dapat  dijadikan acuan dalam mengembangkan strategi dan program kerja. Hal ini sejalan dengan inisiatif OJK yang bekerjasama oleh RISE Indonesia dengan dukungan Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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    TPAKD Regional Coordination Meeting 2024

    TPAKD continues to spearhead the coordination of regional financial access at the provincial and district levels. Until 2024, 495 TPAKD at the District Level and 36 TPAKD at the Provincial Level have been formed. On July 2 and August 28, 2024, the OJK has held Coordination Meetings for the Western, Central and Eastern Regions in Batam and Makassar. In meetings attended by all Provincial TPAKD, RISE Indonesia has been invited as an observer who also provided input.

    In the coordination meeting, each TPAKD has reported various activities to encourage financial literacy and inclusion in each region and conveyed challenges, solutions and suggestions to continue to improve the financial access coordination forum.  One of the suggestions is the existence of a measurable monitoring tool that can be used as a reference in developing strategies and work programs. This is in line with the OJK initiative in collaboration with RISE Indonesia with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

     

     

     

  • Kick-off Ekosistem Keuangan Inklusif di Dolokgede

    Kick-off Ekosistem Keuangan Inklusif di Dolokgede

    Kick-off Ekosistem Keuangan Inklusif di Dolokgede

    Untuk mengatasi kesenjangan keuangan inklusif antara desa dan kota OJK telah menggulirkan program Ekosistem Keuangan Inklusif (EKI) di daerah perdesaan sejak 2023. Tahun 2024 OJK telah mentargetkan 44 desa EKI di berbagai provinsi. Bersama dengan beberapa lembaga jasa keuangan, RISE Indonesia mendukung program EKI di Desa Dolokgede, Jawa Timur. RISE secara khusus melakukan pelatihan berbasis masyarakat di mana anggota masyarakat dilatih sebagai Pendamping Desa. Program ini didahului dengan survei pemetaan inklusi keuangan desa yang melibatkan 200 anggota masyarakat, termasuk UMKM, petani, peternak dan masyarakat umum.

    Kick-off program EKI di Dolokgede telah dilakukan 3 Agustus yang lalu ditandai dengan pemukulan kentongan bersama oleh Menteri Sekretaris Negara RI Pratikno, Ketua Dewan OJK Mahendra Siregar, Kepala Eksekutif Pengawas Perilaku, Pelaku Jasa Keuangan, Edukasi dan Perlindungan Konsumen merangkap Anggota Dewan Komisioner OJK Friderica Widyasari Dewi, dan Penjabat (Pj) Bupati Bojonegoro Adriyanto di GOR Desa Dolokgede. Acara telah dihadiri juga oleh para pemimpin Lembaga pendukung, diantaranya dari BRI, PNM, Pegadaian, Bank Jatim, JASINDO, BPJS, SMF dan BPR Bojonogero.

    Dalam program telah dilakukan penyerahan simbolis pembukaan rekening pelajar (SIMPEL) bagi pelajar dan rekening bagi pengajar, serta dukungan LJK. Acara diramaikan dengan UMKM desa dan ratusan anggota masyarakat yang hadir mendengarkan pengenalan program dan pengenalan tentang perencanaan keuangan, waspada investasi bodong dan pinjaman online illegal. Pj Bupati Bojonegoro menuturkan bahwa selain kaya akan migas, Kabupaten Bojonegoro kaya potensi wisata terutama di wilayah-wilayah hutan dan ia berharap para pelaku keuangan dapat bersinergi mendukung pembangunan pariwisata dan mendukung UMKM di wilayah tujuan wisata.

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    Kick-off of the Inclusive Financial Ecosystem in Dolokgede

    To overcome the gap in inclusive finance between rural and urban areas, OJK has rolled out the Inclusive Financial Ecosystem (Ekosistem Keuangan Inklusif or EKI) program in rural areas since 2023. In 2024, OJK has targeted 44 EKI villages in various provinces. Together with several financial services institutions (Lembaga Jasa Keuangan), RISE Indonesia supports the EKI program in Dolokgede village, East Java, where RISE specifically conducts community-based trainings where community members are trained as program facilitators. The program was preceded by a village financial inclusion mapping survey involving 200 community members, including MSMEs, farmers, animal husbandry.

    The kick-off of the EKI program in Dolokgede was carried out on August 3 last year marked by a joint beating of kentongan by the Minister of State Secretary of the Republic of Indonesia Pratikno, Chairman of the OJK Board Mahendra Siregar, Chief Executive of Behavioral Supervision, Financial Services Actors, Education and Consumer Protection and Member of the OJK Board of Commissioners Friderica Widyasari Dewi, and Acting Regent of Bojonegoro Adriyanto at the Dologede Village GOR. The event was also attended by leaders of supporting institutions, from BRI, PNM, Pegadaian, Bank Jatim, JASINDO, BPJS, SMF dan BPR Bojonogero.

    In the program, a symbolic handover of student account opening (SIMPEL) and for teachers, as well as FI’s support has been carried out. The event was enlivened by village MSMEs and hundreds of community members who attended to listen to the introduction of the program and introduction to financial planning, beware of fraudulent investments and illegal online loans.  The Acting Regent of Bojonegoro said that in addition to being rich in oil and gas, Bojonegoro Regency is rich in tourism potential, especially in forest areas and he hopes that financial actors can synergize to support tourism development and support MSMEs in tourist destination areas.

     

  • Demand for Financing of Earthquake Resistant House Renovation in Lembang Vault Area

    Demand for Financing of Earthquake Resistant House Renovation in Lembang Vault Area

    Most earthquake victims were hit by collapsed houses. Can this be avoided? Very possible!

    Renovate housing to make it earthquake resistant using the ferrocement method at an affordable price. Renovations can be carried out on houses in any condition, whether permanent or semi-permanent.

    Earthquake-resistant house renovation financing and savings products are being developed in West Bandung Regency with ADRA and RISE Indonesia supported by the Secretariat of the National Council for Financial Inclusion.

    What do you think?

  • DNKI Coordination Meeting 2024

    DNKI Coordination Meeting 2024

    The 2024 DNKI Coordination Meeting was held on March 29 at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta. The meeting was chaired directly by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and attended by leaders of DNKI member Ministries and Institutions. The event began with a presentation of developments, evaluations and work programs by the Deputy for Macroeconomic and Financial Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Ferry Irawan as Chair of the Secretariat of the National Council for Inclusive Finance. Furthermore, presentations were delivered by Chairman of the Financial Services Authority Commissioner Mahendra Siregar, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia Juda Agung and Acting Head of the Central Statistics Agency Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti.

    During the Coordination Meeting, a parallel event was also held where the heads of Ministries and Institutions led by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs carried out a symbolic handover to the beneficiaries of the financial inclusion program accompanied by the leaders of the institutions supporting the program. RISE Indonesia participated in the symbolic handover for Malang Regency UKM Women representing the beneficiaries of the UKM Digital Finance program as well as for the Head of the West Bandung Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency representing the beneficiaries of access to financing for strengthening earthquake-resistant houses. This symbolic handover event was also attended by Asian Development Bank Country Director Jiro Tominaga, ILO Indonesia & Timor Leste Country Director Simrin Singh, Melinda Gates Foundation Indonesia Country Lead Brooke Patterson and DANA Indonesia CEO & Co-Founder Vince Iswara.

    The Coordination Meeting emphasized the challenges of financial inclusion and literacy for target community groups, namely the gap between levels of financial inclusion and financial literacy, disparities in levels of financial inclusion and literacy between regions and between socio-economic groups, uneven use of digital finance (still concentrated in Java), the need for increased protection for consumers, the need for disaggregated inclusive financial data for intervention groups, strengthening the DNKI institutions and the Regional Financial Access Acceleration Team (TPAK).

  • Demand Survey of Financing for Strenthening Earthquake Resistant Houses

    Demand Survey of Financing for Strenthening Earthquake Resistant Houses

    ADRA Indonesia supported by RISE Indonesia conducted a study on the Demand of Financing for Strengthening Earthquake Resistant Houses on the Lembang Fault communities in West Bandung District (Kabupaten Bandung Barat or KBB). A total of 74 respondents of community members, leaders, public services, financial institutions, related agencies and local governments, participated in the research.

    The study aims to see the awareness of the local community about the potential of the Lembang Fault earthquake as well as provide insight of demand of financing for earthquake resistant housing renovation. The results of the study showed that 97% of respondents know about the potential risk of earthquake in their village and 97% needing earthquake resistant houses but half of them felt that having an earthquake resistant house was expensive. A total of 87% of respondents were interested in accessing loan for the renovation of earthquake-resistant houses.

    Following up on the study results, the Secretariat of the National Council for Inclusive Finance has supported a coordination meeting and the dissemination of the study results on February 29, 2024 in Bandung. The event, led by the Assistant Deputy for Inclusive Finance and Sharia Finance Erdiriyo, was attended by representatives of the West Java Regional 2 Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan or OJK), the Head of the West Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Head of the KBB Housing and Settlement Area Office (PERKIM), as well as representatives from the KBB BPBD, the KBB Village Community Empowerment Office (DPMD), Head of Cisarua and Lembang Sub-districts, Head of Langensari and Jambudipa Villages. Also present were representatives of financial institutions namely the representative of Directors of BJB and PNM, and from educational institution the Chairman of the Advent Indonesia University Foundation. The event was closed with an agreement to immediate program to strengthen 30 sample earthquake resistant housing, ferrocement training for builders in 4 villages and available financial scheme in financial institutions.

  • Evaluasi Program Kerja Dewan Nasional Keuangan Inklusif 2023

    Evaluasi Program Kerja Dewan Nasional Keuangan Inklusif 2023

    Dalam rangka evaluasi pelaksanaan program kerja Dewan Nasional Keuangan Inklusi (DNKI) tahun 2023 dan pembahasan rencana kegiatan tahun 2024, Sekretariat DNKI menyelenggarakan rapat koordinasi antar kelompok kerja (Pokja DNKI), sekretariat dan mitra DNKI. Rapat diselenggarakan pada 20 Februari 2024 di Hotel Park Haytt, Jakarta. Rapat dipimpin langsung oleh Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Ekonomi Makro dan Keuangan Kemenko Perekonomian, Bapak Ferry Irawan.

    Rapat dihadiri oleh Kelompok Kerja (Pokja) DNKI, Sekretariat dan Mitra DNKI. Rapat dimulai dengan capaian, kendala, dan alternatif penyelesaian serta program prioritas oleh masing-masing Pokja DNKI yaitu: Edukasi Keuangan, Hak Properti Masyarakat, Fasilitas Intermediasi dan Saluran Distribusi Keuangan, Pelayanan Keuangan pada Sektor Pemerintah, Perlindungan Konsumen, Kebijakan dan Regulasi, dan Infrastruktur dan Teknologi Informasi Keuangan. Paparan disampaikan oleh ketua/perwakilan pokja, antara lain: Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, Kementerian Agraria dan Tata Ruang, Bank Indonesia, Kementerian Keuangan dan Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika.

    Acara dilanjutkan dengan sesi sharing dipimpin oleh Asisten Deputi Keuangan Inklusif dan Keuangan Syariah (KIKS), Bapak Erdiriyo, dimana mitra DNKI diberi kesempatan memberi masukkan atas program kerja dan kegiatan DNKI. RISE Indonesia berpartisipasi dengan menyampaikan pentingnya memiliki program kerja yang didukung oleh informasi/data hingga di tingkat regional (Kabupaten/Kota). Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional (SUSENAS) yang dilaksanakan Badan Pusat Statistik setiap tahun dapat menjadi sumber data penting sehingga perlu dilakukan penajaman agar dapat lebih menginformasikan agenda keuangan inklusif dan literasi keuangan.