PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Garut Regency, Nurdin Yana, officially opened the Plenary Meeting for the Determination of the Regional Financial Access Acceleration Team Work Program (TAPKD) of Garut Regency in the Kassiti Fave Hotel Ballroom, Garut Regency, Thursday (2/5/2024).

The meeting discussed financial inclusion as regulated in OJK regulation no. 76/POJK.07/2016 of 2016, financial inclusion is the availability of access to various formal financial institutions, products and services in accordance with community needs and capabilities in order to improve community welfare.

Nurdin touched on the importance of reducing poverty rates by facilitating financial access for the community, identifying regional needs and exploring regional potential, as well as establishing cooperation with various elements.

"The problem of poverty in us is very big, sir. Today, actually, if you look at our efforts, thank God, we are showing a decline, from 10.64, now we are down to just 9 point," he said.

Nurdin said that the reduction in poverty rates in Garut Regency was not significant. At the same time, continued Nurdin, Garut Regency is also still experiencing an increase in stunting rates of 0.5%, the same as 18 other districts/cities in West Java Province.

"From 23.63 to 24.02, practically we are around 0.5, so this is called an anomaly, the poverty rate is going down but stunting is actually going up, so this is a problem, why is that? This will be related to the efforts we will make later," he said.

Nurdin hopes that what the regional government will do through this meeting can accelerate efforts to eradicate poverty as well as reduce stunting rates in Garut Regency.

"Therefore, colleagues, I think it is appropriate for us to gather, how can we improve economic aspects that can simultaneously (overcome) our struggle to address the two problems that have arisen today," he said.

BI representative Yuli Yuliana explained that financial and digital inclusion would support community empowerment and economic development. This happens because of various pandemic challenges and various economic series that have an impact on current world economic conditions.

"Transportation to form the current digital economy must include three beneficial objectives, namely an inclusive economy, a more productive society and a sustainable economy," he said.

Yuli added that technological advances that are accessible to rural areas can make it easier for people to access various knowledge, as well as access to finance, namely through digital banks which can be accessed using gadgets.

"Furthermore, financial inclusion and digital inclusion also support achieving economic empowerment. Financial inclusion accompanied by access to digital technology can support society to achieve economic empowerment," he said.

OJK representative Irwan Muzhar hopes that there will be a follow-up to the meeting with a business matching program that his party is carrying out, so that it can help MSME players to be able to compete with a wider reach.

"And I also hope that in the future TPKAD will also bring them together with exporters abroad, so that it's not just the bottom line but also the marketing," he said.

He also hopes that there will be an increase in speed in the process of distributing credit to the public so that it is not as fast as online loans, of course by paying attention to people's ability to pay so that there are no credit jams.