Financial Inclusion Innovation for Coastal Communities on Ambon Island: An Effort to Promote Sustainable Blue Economy Development

Abstract

Financial inclusion in coastal communities on Ambon Island is crucial to ensure sustainable blue economy development. This study aims to explore the relationship between financial inclusion indicators and poverty, as well as the sustainable development of the blue economy. The main topic discussed was the utilization and management of income from fisheries, as obtained from interviews with coastal communities, with qualitative data analysis using thematic and narrative synthesis to build a more comprehensive understanding of financial inclusion innovations and the sustainability of the blue economy. The results show that although Leihitu District has abundant coastal and marine natural resources, the implementation of the blue economy is not optimal, resulting in low financial inclusion among coastal communities. The main obstacles are limited infrastructure and accessibility to formal financial institutions, as well as minimal technological support for blue economy development, although there are significant opportunities to improve community well-being through sustainable blue economy strategies focused on financial inclusion innovation. Therefore, this study recommends strengthening community understanding on effective and sustainable management of fisheries revenues and encouraging collaboration between the government, communities, and the formal financial sector to promote financial inclusion innovation in coastal communities to achieve inclusive and sustainable blue economic growth.