IDXChannel - The Financial Services Authority (OJK) and regional governments continue to encourage the acceleration of equitable access to finance in various regions, including eastern Indonesia, to help improve community welfare.

"Efforts to expand financial access need to continue in all regions," Head of the OJK Literacy, Financial Inclusion, and Communications Department Aman Santosa stated in Jakarta on Saturday.

"(This is) so that economic improvement can be achieved through concrete steps together in bringing all levels of society closer to financial products and services," he affirmed.

OJK's support for accelerating financial access in the region was carried out through the formation and inauguration of the Southwest Papua Regional Financial Access Acceleration Team (TPAKD) that was followed by a TPAKD Coordination Meeting throughout the Papua region in Sorong on Thursday (July 11).

The coordination meeting is expected to identify obstacles and challenges to TPAKD tasks and provide financial access in the Papua region so that effective and efficient policy recommendations can be formulated to improve the economy and community welfare.

Santosa stressed that the TPAKD plays an important role in providing flexible and affordable financial access.

Moreover, according to him, increasing financial literacy and consumer protection in the regions is also an intrinsic part of TPAKD's duties and functions.

The inauguration of the TPAKD for Southwest Papua Province brings their number across Indonesia to 523.

The TPAKD is expected to be a catalyst for other regions to establish and inaugurate more such teams.

TPAKD is a coordination forum between agencies and related stakeholders to expedite financial access in the regions to encourage regional economic growth and create a more prosperous society.

(DKH)