The Pre-Employment Card successfully increases personal skills, bolstering entrepreneurship or job-seeking efforts, as well as providing social assistance directly via their smartphonesJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Pre-Employment Card Program successfully encourages financial inclusion in the country, according to the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
She said that currently, some 76 percent of the global adult population has gained access to financial inclusion, particularly through the use of digital payment systems on the distribution of social assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"From Jakarta to eastern Africa, millions of small merchants performed financial transactions through their personal gadget, changing their capability in investing for a more prosperous future," Queen Maxima stated through virtual means during the B20 Summit in Bali, Monday .
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As per the statement on Tuesday, the Queen lauded the Pre-Employment Card Program as prioritizing partnerships with vocational training institutions, online marketplaces, and financial technology and employment portals to serve millions of residents.
As of November 2022, some 16.4 million residents in Indonesia's 514 cities and districts have benefited from the program.
"The Pre-Employment Card successfully increases personal skills, bolstering entrepreneurship or job-seeking efforts, as well as providing social assistance directly via their smartphones," she affirmed.
The UNSG special advocate also lauded more countries that have encouraged financial inclusion and distributed social assistance for residents through digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic at an unprecedented pace.
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"This step allows vulnerable residents to access financial services and pushes for financial inclusion for all parts of the society," Queen Maxima stated.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto also highlighted the Pre-Employment Card Program as an inclusive way to bolster upskilling and digital literacy among residents as well as encourage financial inclusion.
"To adapt to the employment of the future and create new opportunities for those affected by technology disruption and the pandemic, we have developed an online vocational education system through the Pre-Employment Card," Hartarto remarked.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna V, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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