Financial inclusion takes centre stage at the 2019 Wealth and Society Indonesia Awards

Three distinguished awards were presented at this year’s Wealth and Society Indonesia Awards Ceremony. The award ceremony was held in conjunction with a Roundtable Dialogue on ‘Property Development in Indonesia: Building a Sustainable City’ comprised of impact investors, architects and sustainable experts and investors, at the JW Marriott Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia.

As an initiative by the Putera Sampoerna foundation to distribute wealth where it is needed most, Mekar uses technology to disburse productive loans at affordable rates

With the intentionality of impact built into the structure of the micro-lending service – Mekar is designed to disburse only productive loans and not consumer loans by connecting offline and un-bankable businesses to online investors.

As an initiative of Putera Sampoerna and his foundation, and to be registered with a OJK license this year, finance is channeled to 50,000 micro businesses through 100 percent productive loans, with 95 percent of the borrowers’ women businesses, 90 percent unbanked, and 70 percent outside Jabodetabek.       

Combining online and offline products and services with strategic partnerships to facilitate financial inclusion

First launched in 2014 by PT Bank Commonwealth as a financial inclusion program aiming to improve the financial wellbeing of Indonesian women through a sustainable and specifically designed education programme based on the needs of Indonesian women in financial management, it was revamped and enhanced in 2019 to incorporate various program elements that are now delivered both online and offline through education classes, Mobile Application, social media content and articles.

The financial portal includes financial education module for housewives, a women entrepreneur module and has expanded to broader segments including the unbanked, professional women, and young adults. This year, the Women Investment Series (WISE) will run three (Mastercard WanWir Femina, Mastercard MercyCorps and Srikandi Bukalapak) main programs to further reach Indonesian ‘womenpreneurs’ targeting 2200 female entrepreneurs.

Harnessing partnerships for good - Indonesia’s first private sector landscapes financing facility at scale

Solving the world’s greatest challenges requires working together and harnessing partnerships that can produce tangible positive results. In its current form as a revolving credit facility from BNP Paribas, the facility securitises the loan and places it in the market.

Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) is Indonesia’s first private sector landscapes financing facility at scale with a total debt and equity value of over $350 million in three tranches. Currently $95 million has been raised in the first tranche. While investments into landscapes is often overlooked, access to clean water, safe waste management and balancing ecosystems has tremendous potential for multiplier effect.

The project will employ 16,000 people, create livelihoods for surrounding communities – with tertiary and secondary benefits spilling over to up to 50,000 people – rehabilitate badly degraded land and protect wildlife conservation areas, while complying with four SDGs. The first 18,100 hectares of rubber were planted on December 2017.

About Global Wealth and Society

The Global Wealth and Society programme opened in London in 2018 out of the belief that wealth can be a force for good. As such we look for instances everywhere in the world where wealthy individuals, institutions and funds are targeted to make an impact in their local communities or the world at large.

Impact-minded innovative institutions that are well run should be recognised for their contribution to society through their innovative channels of wealth distribution and sustainable ecosystems. Recipients of these awards underwent a stringent and comprehensive evaluation process.

For specific details relating to awards descriptions, evaluation criteria and process, kindly visit http://www.wealthandsociety.com/theglobalwealthandsocietyawards/criteria

For all Wealth and Society Indonesia Awards 2019 photos, please visit
https://www.facebook.com/315480569196199/posts/530211401056447?s=1217733620&sfns=mo

For media enquiries, please contact:

Alfred Labiccasi, Marketing Manager, Wealth and Society

Tel: +44 1823 711134

alabiccasi@wealthandsociety.com