OJK Steps Up PINTAR Programme to Broaden Public Access to Investment

Cirebon (ANTARA) — The Financial Services Authority (OJK) is stepping up its Planned and Regular Investment Programme (PINTAR) to broaden public access to capital-market products, including in Cirebon, West Java, and increase the number of investors in Indonesia.

Sujanto, head of the Directorate of Investment Management Supervision at the OJK’s Department of Investment Management Supervision 1 and Regional Capital Markets, said the programme targets a range of groups, from school and university students to workers.

“We hope this will reach many people across Indonesia, including school students, university students, workers and others,” Sujanto said when speaking to reporters at the OJK’s Cirebon office on Monday.

He explained that the programme is designed to help people begin investing in a planned and regular way through mutual fund products that can be selected according to their needs.

According to Sujanto, mutual funds can serve as a starting point for prospective investors before they learn about more complex capital-market instruments, such as shares.

“Our most important hope is that, going forward, people will understand the risks,” he said.

The programme comprises general mutual fund services, which are open to prospective investors of any age, and SiMuda Investasiku, which targets people aged 18 to 30.

Sujanto said efforts to increase the number of investors must be accompanied by an understanding of product characteristics and risks, so people can make choices suited to their financial circumstances.

He said mutual funds fall into several categories: money market, fixed income, balanced and equity funds, each with a different level of risk.

According to figures provided by Sujanto, Indonesia’s capital-market literacy index stands at 11.78 per cent, while its inclusion index is 3.34 per cent.

He said the number of capital-market investors in Indonesia has reached about 30.87 million, up 60 per cent from the previous year.

Sujanto also urged the media to help provide accurate and balanced information so that people understand the opportunities and risks before making investment decisions.

“We hope our journalist colleagues will be more than just news reporters, and will also become strategic partners in providing accurate and balanced information,” he said.