Still young, have skills as a solopreneur or business owner of a small business, freelancer or freelancer, to a permanent employee with additional work, want to be more serious about doing business? Financial support and management can be handed over to Saqu Bank.
Taking place at the Astra Tower, on Monday (20/11/2023), Astra Financial–a brand of the financial services division of PT Astra International Tbk, with total assets of IDR 182.6 trillion as of September 2023–and WeLab–are supported the most famous investors include Allianz, China Construction Bank International, International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), CK Hutchison’s TOM Group and Sequoia Capital–through WeLab Sky launched Bank Saqu through PT Bank Jasa Jakarta (BJJ) which is owned by both parties .
Bank Jasa Jakarta, WeLab, and the Directors of PT Astra International Tbk take a group photo at the launch of Bank Saqu at Menara Astra Jakarta on Monday (20/11/2023) [/CNR ukirsari] Bank Saqu is a digital banking service as a friend in arms a productive generation in Indonesia with a solopreneur spirit. By reading the name phonetically the same as “my nation” and in line with BJJ’s aspirations to become the financial service of choice for the Indonesian nation, where pocket is one of the mainstay features of this application.
The launch ceremony was attended by President Commissioner of Astra, Prijono Sugiarto, President Director of Astra, Djony Bunarto Tjondro, Director of Astra, Suparno Djasmin, Founder & Group CEO of WeLab, Simon Loong, Group COO of WeLab, Ernest Leung, President Director of Bank Jasa Jakarta, Leo Koesmanto , Directors and Commissioners of Bank Jasa Jakarta as well as Directors and Executives of the Astra and WeLab Groups.
“The presence of Bank Saqu is a manifestation of our aspirations to provide excellent and leading financial services, especially for the retail and MSME segments and contribute to improving community welfare. Bank Saqu will support, complement and strengthen the Astra Group’s financial services ecosystem, as well as encourage increased literacy and financial inclusion in Indonesia,” said Suparno Djasmin, Director of Astra and Director-in-Charge of Astra Financial.
“Every step of this business unit is always directed in accordance with Astra’s ideals, namely to prosper with the nation. Within Astra Financial, we want the presence of Bank Saqu to be a financial partner for the welfare of the Indonesian people,” he said.
Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab said that the development of the banking system with Bank Saqu’s digital services was very short, namely only six months, even though generally it takes 18-24 months.
“This is due to the technology and expertise behind WeLab’s experience as the first licensed digital bank in Hong Kong. Together with Astra, we hope to utilize our complementary strengths to drive the growth of Bank Saqu and contribute to the digitalization of Indonesian banking services,” he said.
“We are very enthusiastic about the launch of Bank Saqu, WeLab’s second digital banking service in Asia. The presence of Bank Saqu is in line with our strategic focus to expand our presence and provide technology-based financial services, starting in Hong Kong, and now in Indonesia,” said Simon Loong.
Then Leo Koesmanto, President Director of Bank Jasa Jakarta said that Bank Saqu created a service to redefine how solopreneurs should manage their money, both personally and in business.
“With several different pockets (called Saku) in one banking application, solopreneurs can manage their finances strategically, allocate resources, and feel their business grow,” explained Leo Koesmanto.
He explained the local market insight and Astra’s extensive ecosystem coverage, both offline and online, as well as the technological capabilities that WeLab brings, making Bank Jasa Jakarta believe that Bank Saqu is able to position itself to enter a promising market.
Where segments proactively look for ways to grow, save more, invest more, or even take out loans for productive endeavors, to achieve more positive things in the future.
This is where Bank Saqu acts as a comrade in arms for solopreneurs with a vision of becoming the Retail Bank and MSMEs of choice, with a strong ecosystem foundation and integration functions for the advancement of Indonesia’s digital economy.
“Bank Saqu does not just offer products tailored to customers’ needs, but focuses on financial education and better experiences to support and empower individuals in their financial journey,” said Leo Koesmanto.
Currently, a study estimates that there will be around 117 million solopreneurs in Indonesia by 2030, where 1 in 3 Indonesians will become solopreneurs.
This study also estimates that the contribution of solopreneurs to gross domestic product (GDP) will be 36 percent in 2030, however, business people often face challenges such as inconsistent income and difficulty managing finances. This is where Saqu Bank comes to provide digital banking services.
Here’s a list of some
