BSG Promotes Financial Literacy: 125,000 Students in North Sulawesi and Gorontalo Have SimPel Accounts

PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah (BPD) Sulawesi Utara dan Gorontalo (BSG) is actively working to enhance financial literacy and inclusion, with a particular focus on engaging the younger generation. By the end of the first semester of 2026, the bank had successfully opened 125,000 student savings accounts, known as SimPel, accumulating a total deposit volume of Rp48.5 billion.

BSG's General Director, Joubert Dondokambey, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond merely collecting third-party funds. He stated that BSG aims to provide education to cultivate a financially smarter generation in North Sulawesi and Gorontalo. This effort is part of the National Financial Intelligence Movement (Gencarkan), fully supported by the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

Through direct collaboration between the bank and educational institutions, BSG has partnered with 1,200 schools across the North Sulawesi and Gorontalo region. This partnership facilitates the opening of accounts and educational activities. The OJK's Head for North Sulawesi and Gorontalo, Robert Sianipar, explained that SimPel accounts have specific rules, limiting each student to one account per bank and prohibiting joint accounts. Transactions can be managed at schools or through the bank's various channels.

Governor of North Sulawesi, Yulius Selvanus, highlighted that saving instills discipline and shapes national character. He affirmed the provincial government's commitment, alongside financial institutions like BSG, to support the aspirations of children towards Indonesia's Golden Era in 2045. Recent data from the National Financial Literacy and Inclusion Survey (SNLIK) for 2026 indicates a financial literacy index of 69.98 percent and a financial inclusion index of 94.37 percent in the region.