Queen Máxima in Indonesia For Inclusive Finance

As special advocate of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Inclusive Finance for Development, Her Majesty Queen Máxima paid a three-day visit to the Republic of Indonesia from Tuesday August 30 to Thursday September 1st.

On the first day of the visit, the Queen participated in the Indonesia Fintech Festival and Conference 2016, an event that reunites members of FinTech industry, financial institutions, investors, startups and it is organized by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin). Queen Máxima started her speech by praising the work done by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for his commitment to following a plan that will ensure by 2019 access to financial services for half the adult population.

Koningin Máxima voor VN in Indonesië voor toegang tot financiële diensten @UNSGSA https://t.co/oJsw8nijNf pic.twitter.com/Vz8msfuk7R

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) August 30, 2016

The Queen also added that over the past 15 years, Indonesia has made important progress to improve the lives of the poor and expanding financial inclusion and with the help of reforms the financial access was expanded. In the presence of Queen Máxima was signed a partnership agreement between the Financial Services Authority of Indonesia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to increase the financial inclusion for the poor and the remote areas.

Then the Queen had a meeting with Douglas Broderick, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia and later she was received by the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi.

The second day in Indonesia,  Wednesday August 31, began for Queen Máxima in Bogor City, a town in the south of Indonesia. Her first event in agenda was a visit to the Junior High School SMP Negeri (SMPN) 1. This school is promoting a financial inclusion program runs by Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). The Queen spoke to the students and was informed about how the financial inclusion program works.

Then Queen Máxima paid a visit to some locals shopkeepers that are experiencing the plan of the Indonesian government to improve the accessibility to financial services. Afterwards the Queen had several roundtable meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Bank Indonesia (Central Bank) and representatives of financial institutions, telecommunications companies and microfinance institutions.

@UNSGSA Queen Máxima on her first stop in Bogor this morning. #Indonesia #financialinclusion pic.twitter.com/OG2UNk5sKc

— NL Embassy Indonesia (@NLinIndonesia) August 31, 2016

On her third and final day in Indonesia, Queen Máxima was busy with meetings. The Queen had two seperate audiences with Puan Maharani, Minister for Human Development and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia.

Later Queen Máxima paid a working visit to the Central Bank of Indonesia where she was welcomed by Agus DW Martowardojo, Governor of the Bank of Indonesia and she also met with the Minister of Economic Affairs, Darmin Nasution at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Topic of the meetings was the financial inclusion programs globally and in Indonesia.

Then the Queen headed to the Istana Merdeka, the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, where she was received by President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana Widodo. After signing the guest book and posing for the official pictures, the Queen and the President had a meeting held in the veranda of the Palace. The meeting was about the accessibility of financial services and the “National Strategy for Financial Inclusive 2016 to 2019” plan that the President is about to launch.

The last event of the visit was a press briefing held by Queen Máxima.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Inclusive Finance, Indonesia, President Widodo of Indonesia, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations, Working Visit.