OJK urges pension funds to reach more informal workers in 2026

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has urged the pension fund industry to develop programmes that can be joined by more informal workers in order to broaden public access to old-age protection.

Ogi Prastomiyono, Chief Executive of Insurance, Guarantee Fund, and Pension Fund Supervision at OJK, said informal workers still face limited access to pension fund programmes because of the irregular nature of their incomes.

“For informal workers, contribution payments are uncertain; their income is not fixed. When they earn more money, they can pay. When they do not, they cannot,” Ogi said in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday.

Ogi said informal workers do not always come from low-income groups. The category also includes workers such as athletes, artists, and self-employed individuals whose incomes fluctuate.

“So they can pay when they are able to, and perhaps set up a retirement programme. That is what has not yet taken off. We are encouraging financial institution pension funds (DPLK) to have applications so that informal workers can participate,” he said.

In addition, Ogi said expanding membership is also important for formal workers who already have a company pension programme. They can still join a supplementary pension programme to increase the benefits they receive upon retirement.

Ogi assessed that the pension benefits currently received by workers are not yet sufficient to maintain their standard of living after retirement. Therefore, supplementary pension programmes need to be developed.

OJK has made expanding membership, particularly in the informal sector, one of its priorities in developing the national pension fund industry. Based on the OJK roadmap, there remains significant potential for BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, DPLK, and employer pension funds (DPPK) to expand membership in old-age security programmes.

Meanwhile, OJK has opened the door for more industry players to establish DPLKs. In June 2026, OJK approved the establishment of DPLK Sinarmas Asset Management, the first DPLK founded by an investment manager. OJK believes the entry of investment managers can increase competition, innovation, and expand pension programme membership.

OJK recorded total pension fund assets of Rp1,699.9 trillion as of July 2026, and projects annual growth of 9–11 percent in 2026.