Indonesia Highlights: Young People Biggest Group of Fintech Borrowers | Rapid Tests for Mt Merapi Evacuation Camps Volunteers | No 4G Network at Over 12,000 Villages

KOMPAS.com – Young people aged 19 to 34 dominate the list of borrowers of Indonesian peer-to-peer lending (P2P) companies. As of September, the disbursement of loans through these fintech firms reached 100 trillion rupiahs ($7.1 billion).

In Central Java, the increasing volcanic activity has sent residents living near the Mount Merapi volcano to emergency shelters. To contain the spread of the coronavirus, volunteers have undergone rapid tests before going to the shelters.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology said that over 12,000 Indonesian villages have yet to gain access to the 4G network. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed the relevant agencies to provide a 4G network in villages, especially in frontier, outermost and disadvantaged regions.

Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

1. Largest Group Owing Fintech Firms Are Loan Recipients Aged 19-34

Thinkstockphotos.com A file photo of Indonesian rupiah.

Indonesia’s Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that the disbursement of loans through the country’s peer-to-peer lending (P2P) companies reached about 100 trillion rupiahs ($7.1 billion) as of September 2020.

“The disbursement shows an increase of 113 percent year on year,” Airlangga said in a virtual discussion on Monday, November 9.

“On average, the loan recipients are persons aged 19-34,” the senior minister added.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, fintech firms play a major role in supporting the government-led National Economic Recovery Program in providing people access to financial services.

In the future, fintech firms will continue to play an important service in the financial sector in the country.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/11/09/195527326/rata-rata-peminjam-dana-di-fintech-kelompok-muda-usia-19-34-tahun.

2. Volunteers at Mt Merapi Evacuation Camps Offered Rapid Tests

KOMPAS.com/ANGGARA WIKAN PRASETYA Mount Merapi volcano seen from Balerante, Kemalang, Klaten, Central Java.

Volunteers who will be helping Mount Merapi residents at a temporary shelter in Cangkringan, Sleman have taken rapid tests to prevent the transmission of Covid-19. The residents have left their homes near the volcano due to the increasing volcanic activity in the past few days.

“Our target is to provide the volunteers with rapid tests as they come from other areas,” said Novita Krisnaeni of Sleman health agency’s disease control and prevention division head on Monday.

“We will provide rapid tests for 60 people. We hope they all come here and take the tests,” Novita said.

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/11/09/19590571/relawan-yang-bertugas-di-barak-pengungsian-merapi-jalani-rapid-test.

3. No 4G Network at More Than 12,000 Indonesian Villages

KOMPAS.com/Reska K. Nistanto A file photo of a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) tower.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology said that a total of 12,538 villages in Indonesia have yet to be reached by the 4G network.

The majority of the villages are the 3T (frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions).
The Ministry’s director-general of Post Administration and Informatics Ahmad M. Ramli said that his office will begin to build a 4G network in those villages in 2021.

Ramli said that there are 83,318 villages throughout the country. He said that President Joko Widodo has instructed that the 3T areas should be immediately provided with the 4G network.

“Therefore, a huge task will start in 2021 as we will provide a 4G network in 9,113 villages in 3T areas and 3,425 villages in non 3T areas following the instruction from the President,” he said.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/11/09/203700426/12.538-desa-di-indonesia-belum-tercover-jaringan-internet-4g.