Speaking in a special interview with four journalists at the Kimpinsky Hotel here on Thursday afternoon, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands who is also the UN Secretary General`s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development said Indonesia`s big population and its richness in natural resources were seen as the brightest prospect for the country.
After having a series of meetings with private sector representatives and development partners about the use of financial services by people and companies during her first visit to Indonesia, the Princess said this country had adopted a better approach on how to develop micro, small and medium-sized businesses which are also the backbone of the country`s economy.
During the 1998 economic crisis engulfing Indonesia and some other ASEAN countries, the small-and medium-scale businesses proved capable of surviving the burden of the crisis. Therefore, the step taken by the government of Indonesia to develop micro-, small-and medium-scale businesses was already on the good track, she said.
The princess also touched on the programmes of Malaysia which focus on deepening and expanding services, including to reach 20 percent of its population that has no access to financial services, and on financial education, consumer protection and improving the quality of loans to individuals and small businesses.
However, each country has its own policy on how to improve its inclusive finance depending on its geographical condition. Such policy applied by a country in a continental area will be different from that of archipelagic country like Indonesia.
In her capacity as Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, she advised him about access to financial services, working at global level to ensure access to financial services for everyone. These efforts contribute particularly to the development of low income groups and small-and medium-sized enterprises.
In many countries it is no simple matter to open a savings or other bank account, borrow money or buy insurance. Since June 2011 Princess Maxima has also been Honorary Patron of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI).
Hence, financial inclusion would be on the agenda of the G20 Summit in Mexico in July 2012, she said.
During her stay, the Princess had a courtesy call on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a series of meetings with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs M. Hatta Rajasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Minister of National Development Planning Armida Alisjahbana, and Governor of Bank Indonesia Darmin Nasution. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
