The sound of applause echoed through the Main Hall of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in Jakarta as the 2025 Capital Market Summit and Expo (CMSE 2025) opened its doors to thousands of participants, both in person and online on October 17-18, 2025. The annual event—known as the largest gathering of investors, regulators, and financial educators in Indonesia—carried a special resonance this year. Beneath the theme “Pasar Modal untuk Rakyat: Satu Pasar Berjuta Peluang,” or “Capital Market for the People: One Market, Millions of Opportunities,” BEI placed the spotlight on one region often distant from the country’s financial narrative: Papua.
For the organizers, CMSE 2025 was more than a ceremonial forum. It became a platform to bridge Indonesia’s financial inclusion gap, bringing the conversation of investment literacy to the country’s easternmost frontier. According to BEI Papua Head Kresna Aditya Payokwa, the summit marked an important milestone in expanding knowledge and awareness about the capital market among Papuans. “This year’s CMSE is not only a celebration of Indonesia’s growing investor base,” he said, “but a movement to ensure that the spirit of the capital market reaches every corner of the archipelago, including the land of Papua.”
Bringing Papua into the Financial Conversation
For decades, Papua has often been seen through the lens of natural resources, infrastructure challenges, and social development. Rarely has it been part of the conversation when it comes to financial empowerment and investment participation. Yet BEI’s regional office in Papua has been steadily working to change that perception. Through CMSE 2025, the exchange aimed to open new doors for education, accessibility, and public involvement in the financial sector.
During the event, BEI emphasized that the Indonesian capital market is not just for large corporations or elite investors in Jakarta. It is for everyone—civil servants, teachers, fishermen, and young professionals who aspire to grow their wealth through legal and transparent investment channels. CMSE 2025 embodied this inclusivity by inviting participants from across the country to join the sessions free of charge, both online and offline. As reported by Antara Papua, the open-access nature of the summit was meant to erase the sense of distance and exclusivity that often surrounds financial events.
In Papua, where access to information can be limited by geography, digital channels such as YouTube livestreams and social media coverage became powerful equalizers. Residents from Jayapura, Wamena, and Merauke could tune in and learn about investment opportunities from their phones or community centers. In that sense, CMSE 2025 became not only a national summit but also a symbol of democratization of knowledge—a message that investing is a right, not a privilege.
A Papuan Voice on the National Stage
One of the most inspiring highlights of CMSE 2025 came from Hugo Reindhard Nukuboy, a young civil servant from Papua who took the stage as a speaker in the session “Investasi Saham untuk Rakyat” (Stock Investment for the People). Hugo’s presence captured attention nationwide—not because he represented a major firm, but because he symbolized the rise of ordinary Papuans as active participants in the nation’s capital market.
As reported by Merdeka.com, Hugo’s story drew admiration. He began his investment journey modestly, studying financial markets through online platforms and saving a small portion of his income each month. Over time, he learned that investing was not about speculation or instant profit—it was about discipline, patience, and financial independence. Standing before a national audience in Jakarta, Hugo shared a simple but powerful message: “If a person from Papua can start investing, then everyone in Indonesia can too.”
That moment resonated deeply. It was more than a motivational quote—it was a cultural breakthrough. For many Papuans, seeing one of their own on the national stage provided representation and validation. It broke the stereotype that the world of finance is distant, complex, or reserved only for certain groups. As Kresna Payokwa said, Hugo’s appearance “proves that Papuans have great potential to participate and even lead in Indonesia’s growing investment ecosystem.”
The Mission: Building Investment Literacy in Eastern Indonesia
BEI’s initiative in Papua is not an isolated gesture. It aligns with a broader national mission to increase financial literacy and inclusion as part of Indonesia’s 2045 vision—when the nation aspires to become a high-income country and a global economic powerhouse. Yet the path to that goal requires not only physical infrastructure but also mental infrastructure: the mindset to save, invest, and participate in economic growth.
In Papua, the challenge is twofold. First, accessibility—many areas still lack strong internet connections or financial institutions. Second, education investment remains a foreign concept to those accustomed to cash-based transactions and informal economies. That is why events like CMSE 2025 matter. They translate abstract ideas into relatable stories, showing that investment can start small and be part of everyday life.
Kresna explained that the “spirit of the capital market for the people” becomes real when communities outside major cities are empowered to invest. “When people in Papua understand that investing is not gambling but a way to secure their future,” he noted, “we are not just teaching finance—we are building confidence and national unity.”
From Awareness to Action
Awareness alone is not enough; it must be followed by real participation. According to BEI data, the number of investors in Papua has been rising steadily over the past few years. The regional office continues to collaborate with universities, local governments, and community organizations to create galeri investasi—investment galleries that serve as educational and practical hubs for students and residents.
The momentum from CMSE 2025 is expected to accelerate these efforts. In addition to showcasing success stories, the summit also introduced simplified digital investment platforms designed for first-time users. By integrating technology with financial education, BEI hopes to reduce barriers for new investors and make participation more accessible.
The key, however, lies in follow-up. BEI Papua plans to extend the post-summit programs into local training sessions, public seminars, and school outreach initiatives. The goal is to ensure that the knowledge shared in Jakarta translates into long-term habits at the grassroots level. “We don’t want this to be a one-time event,” Kresna emphasized. “We want a continuous cycle of learning, investing, and growing together.”
The Broader Impact: Strengthening National Unity through Financial Inclusion
There is an underlying national significance in all of this. When investment literacy expands to Papua, it is not merely an economic achievement—it is a symbol of unity. It shows that financial opportunity does not stop at Java’s borders; it extends across the entire archipelago. By engaging Papuans in the same market ecosystem as investors from Jakarta or Surabaya, BEI reinforces the idea of one Indonesia—equal in rights, opportunities, and potential.
Financial inclusion also serves a social function. It empowers individuals to take ownership of their economic future, reducing dependency and promoting dignity. As BEI’s campaign suggests, “Satu Pasar, Berjuta Peluang” is not just a slogan—it is a roadmap for equal participation in national prosperity. Through capital-market education, people in remote areas can connect to Indonesia’s growth story, not as spectators but as stakeholders.
The success of CMSE 2025 therefore lies not in the number of booths or media coverage it generated, but in the stories it sparked—the stories of ordinary people who now see themselves as part of the nation’s economic transformation.
Challenges Ahead and the Road Forward
Still, there are challenges that need attention. Infrastructure gaps in Papua remain a hurdle; reliable internet access and digital literacy are essential for online investment platforms to function effectively. Moreover, cultural barriers persist. Many communities remain cautious of financial institutions due to past experiences or limited exposure.
To overcome these, BEI and its partners must localize their strategies. This could mean translating educational materials into regional languages, engaging church groups and youth communities, and using storytelling rather than technical jargon to explain investment concepts. By grounding education in local culture, financial learning can become not only informative but meaningful.
Another critical step involves strengthening trust. People invest when they trust the system—trust that their money is secure, their rights are protected, and their participation matters. Building that trust in Papua will take consistent engagement, transparency, and the visibility of successful local investors who lead by example.
If these efforts are sustained, the benefits will ripple outward. A financially literate population contributes to regional stability, entrepreneurship, and even good governance. Investment literacy can reduce economic inequality and empower people to participate more fully in national decision-making.
Conclusion
The 2025 Capital Market Summit and Expo was not just another economic event—it was a bridge between Indonesia’s financial center and its farthest island provinces. It brought together voices from different corners of the nation and reminded everyone that prosperity grows stronger when it is shared.
For Papua, CMSE 2025 marked a turning point. It validated the efforts of those who have long believed that knowledge is the foundation of progress. It introduced new heroes—like Hugo Nukuboy—who stand as living proof that investment is possible for anyone with curiosity and perseverance. And it strengthened BEI’s mission to ensure that the capital market truly becomes a market for the people, in every sense of the phrase.
As Indonesia moves toward its Golden Vision 2045, events like CMSE 2025 illuminate the path forward. Empowering Papuans through investment literacy is not just about teaching finance—it is about nurturing confidence, unity, and independence. The applause that filled the BEI Hall in Jakarta may have faded, but in the mountains and coasts of Papua, a new sound is rising: the quiet determination of people ready to invest in their own future.