Jakarta. Gold investment platform Lakuemas on Wednesday inked a partnership with Bank Neo Commerce, commonly shortened as BNC.

The partnership enables BNC users —most of whom are millennials— to invest in gold starting from just Rp 10,000 ($0.67) on BNC’s neobank app. BNC president director Tjandra Gunawan said that millennials represented most of the bank’s users.  

“We have 18 million users of which 70 percent are millennials. This partnership gives an opportunity for millennials to start investing at just Rp 10,000,” Tjandra told a press briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The Lakuemas-BNC partnership puts high emphasis on educating the public about the know-hows for investing in gold. 

According to Lakuemas president director Bayu Saputra, it is imperative to deepen your knowledge of what you are investing in. Millennials might have learnt about investing in gold from their parents, but might not have a grasp on the instrument.

“We may get easily disappointed if we do not comprehend the instrument. Having good understanding about the instrument makes us aware of the risks and gains. This partnership seeks to help the Indonesian people to get a grasp on gold investment,” Bayu said.

Gold prices fluctuate, but they do continue to rise in the long-term. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, gold price was at around Rp 600,000 per gram. It has now reached Rp 800,000 per gram and is almost touching Rp 900,000 per gram. 

“Gold has been around for generations, and it counters inflation," Bayu said.

“Amid high uncertainties, many investors are also allocating their instruments in gold because it is a safe option,” he added.

To invest in gold via the neobank app, users only need to open up the saving menu and click on Neo Emas. The app will then require the user to upload their ID and a taxpayer identification number (NPWP) for registration and verification. Users can also easily see their gold transaction record on the app.

Lakuemas is under the jewelry giant Central Mega Kencana (CMK) which also encompasses jewelry brands Mondial, Frank & co., and The Palace. Lakuemas reported to have almost a million downloads, and partners with more than 100 stores under CMK. 

Lakuemas users can withdraw their digital gold at Lakuemas ATMs which are spread across five locations in Jakarta, Bogor, Surabaya, and Tangerang. Users can also have their gold delivered to their home.

According to Bayu, Lakuemas at present processes more than 50,000 transactions a month. The digital investment platform has also obtained a license from the Futures Exchange Supervisory Board or Bappebti (Bappebti).