Wednesday, 04 November 2026
DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - The Deli Serdang Regency Government has allocated a budget of IDR 4.25 billion to provide scholarships to 7,000 elementary and junior high school students through the "One Account, One Student" (Satu Rekening Satu Pelajar/KEJAR) program in 2026. In addition to supporting students' educational needs, the program is part of the government's efforts to expand access to financial services while fostering a culture of saving, financial responsibility, and financial literacy from an early age.
The Deli Serdang Regency Government symbolically distributed the scholarships through the opening of Student Savings (Simpanan Pelajar/SIMPel) accounts during the 2026 Indonesia Savings Day (Hari Indonesia Menabung) event at SMP Negeri 1 Tanjung Morawa on Thursday, August 27, 2026.The event was not merely a symbolic handover of assistance to scholarship recipients. The government also used the occasion to raise awareness among all students about the importance of saving and managing their finances responsibly.
Indonesia Savings Day is based on Presidential Decree No. 26 of 2019 concerning Indonesia Savings Day, which designated August 20 as Hari Indonesia Menabung."At its core, this is not only about students who receive scholarships. We must also instill the joy of saving in students who do not receive assistance. This allows them to learn from an early age how to manage their finances better," he said.
The 2026 KEJAR program is aimed at 4,000 elementary school students and 3,000 junior high school students. Each elementary school student receives IDR 500,000, while each junior high school student receives IDR 750,000.Of the total number of designated recipients, 969 students have so far received the assistance. Another 2,211 students are currently undergoing the application process at Bank Sumut. The Deli Serdang Regency Government aims to ensure that all remaining recipients receive their assistance no later than October 2026.
Distributing the assistance through SIMPel accounts also gives students an opportunity to become familiar with formal financial services. In this way, the students receive not only financial support but also learn how bank accounts function, the importance of regularly setting aside money, and the need to plan how their financial resources are used.
Hendra emphasized that Indonesia Savings Day should be developed into a sustainable movement. He hopes that related activities will not take place only every August but will instead become an integral part of schools' daily educational activities.
"This is merely a starting point. Indonesia Savings Day activities must be continued sustainably and should not end in August. Innovation must be developed continuously," he stressed.According to Hendra Wijaya, Deli Serdang still has considerable potential to expand the KEJAR program. The regency has more than 1,000 elementary and junior high schools, providing opportunities for the government, schools, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to expand both financial education and students' access to financial services.
The Deli Serdang Regency Government is also encouraging schools to develop various innovations closely connected to students' daily lives. One idea receiving particular attention is the establishment of waste banks in school environments.Under this concept, students can collect waste with economic value and then process or sell it. The proceeds can subsequently be deposited into their bank accounts. This approach combines environmental education with practical financial education.
At the same time, the concept teaches students that simple activities in their immediate surroundings can create economic value when properly organized and managed. Schools can also incorporate these activities into practical learning to foster students' independence and sense of responsibility.
Yovvi Sukandar, Head of the Financial Services Provider Conduct Supervision, Financial Education and Consumer Protection Division at the Financial Services Authority (OJK) of North Sumatra Province, praised the various programs implemented by the Deli Serdang Regency Government to improve access to financial services and promote financial inclusion among the community.
Yovvi called for the savings movement not to rely solely on the distribution of financial assistance or pocket money. In his view, schools and communities can develop productive activities that enable students to generate income in simple ways while learning to save part of their earnings."Children or members of the community can open an account using income generated from processing recyclable waste. For example, waste collected over the course of a month can be sold, and the proceeds can be used to open an account or increase savings," he explained.
He described the approach as beneficial on two fronts. On the one hand, students learn to develop a savings habit. On the other, they gain practical experience in environmental protection by managing waste that has economic value.On the same occasion, Bambang Suharsono, head of SMP Negeri 1 Tanjung Morawa, said his school is among the institutions benefiting from the 2026 KEJAR program. Of its total 1,049 students, the school is gradually opening SIMPel accounts with support from Bank Sumut's Lubuk Pakam branch.
The 2026 Indonesia Savings Day event in Deli Serdang also featured various educational and creative activities for students, including a poetry competition on saving, storytelling, painting, and various handicraft activities.The series of activities reinforced the message that financial education can be delivered to children in simple, creative, and practical ways. Through this approach, students are expected not only to understand the importance of saving but also to learn how to set priorities and use their money responsibly.
The 2026 KEJAR program is ultimately one of the initiatives undertaken by the Deli Serdang Regency Government to expand financial inclusion at the elementary education level. Cooperation among the regency government, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Bank Sumut, and educational institutions provides an important foundation for establishing a continuous culture of saving and financial awareness among students.Through the opening of SIMPel accounts and the distribution of scholarships, the government is not only supporting education but also preparing a younger generation to better understand formal financial services and manage their financial resources responsibly. The initiative is expected to develop into a collective movement across educational institutions throughout Deli Serdang. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Edi Saputra | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
