As part of its commitment to strengthening digital financial literacy and consumer protection, the Asosiasi Fintech Indonesia supports the launch of the Gerai Cerdas Pelindungan Konsumen (PeKA), an initiative by Bank Indonesia (BI) at the Vocational School - Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta.
This launch is part of the national campaign Gerakan Bersama Edukasi Pelindungan Konsumen (GEBER PK) a concrete effort that brings together regulators, industry players, associations, and educational institutions to promote continuous and sustainable consumer education.
Gerai Cerdas PeKA is designed as an educational space to help students better understand consumer protection in digital transactions. Through this platform, students can learn the importance of safeguarding personal data, identifying various forms of digital fraud, and understanding how to mitigate risks when using digital financial services.
This initiative represents a strategic step in building early awareness, particularly as students are among the most active users of digital services and play a key role in shaping future financial behavior.
From AFTECH’s perspective, students hold a highly strategic position not only as active users, but also as digital natives who have the potential to become agents of education within their communities.
AFTECH Secretary General Firlie Ganinduto emphasized that campuses serve as an effective channel to expand digital financial literacy in a scalable and sustainable way.
With approximately 9.9 million students across more than 4,000 higher education institutions in Indonesia, campus-based education plays a crucial role in building a strong foundation of financial literacy from an early stage.
“As an association representing fintech providers in Indonesia, AFTECH remains committed to supporting BI’s initiatives in enhancing financial literacy and consumer protection. Gerai Cerdas PeKA is a tangible example of collaboration between regulators, industry, and academia,” his said.
As the use of digital financial services continues to rise, the primary challenge is no longer access, but rather understanding and security in transactions.
Data from the 2025 National Survey on Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK) by the Otoritas Jasa Keuangan shows that the national financial literacy rate stands at 66.46%, still lower than the inclusion rate of 80.51%.
This gap highlights the need to balance access with understanding—especially among Generation Z, who are highly active in the digital ecosystem and increasingly exposed to risks such as fraud and data misuse.
Through collaboration with various stakeholders, including industry players such as DANA Indonesia, the initiative goes beyond technology adoption to focus on shaping responsible user behavior.
Gerai Cerdas PeKA is designed as a hybrid (offline and online) educational platform that enables students to:
This approach is expected to foster safer, more informed, and more responsible digital transaction habits.
The launch of Gerai Cerdas PeKA is more than just an educational program—it is part of a broader effort to build an inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital financial ecosystem.
Through strong collaboration between regulators, industry, and academia, the younger generation is expected not only to become technology users, but also to act as agents of change in promoting financial literacy and consumer protection within society.
Because in the digital era, it is not just about access it is about how we use it wisely and responsibly.
