When an idea you have been working on meets the public debate, that is the right moment to put it forward.

The Prime Minister’s announcement of the “Savings Pot for the Next Generation” at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), together with the earlier proposal for a “National Savings Account for Every Child”, first introduced into the public debate in 2018, comes at a time when we have been developing a related idea of our own: the “Starting Account.”

These approaches converge around an important premise: supporting young people is not only about addressing their needs today. It is also about providing them with a meaningful financial foundation as they take their first steps into adult life.

We are glad to see this discussion now gaining momentum at the national level.

Following yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister, we are publishing an article in which we share our thoughts and outline the core rationale behind a proposal we have been developing over the past few months. We do not present it as a definitive answer, but rather as our contribution to a conversation that deserves to continue.

For us, however, such an instrument should not be solely about the capital accumulated. It should also be about the knowledge, skills and behaviours a young person has developed by the time they are called upon to manage it.

A “savings pot” can also become a meaningful tool for financial education: an opportunity for young people to become familiar with saving, investing, the value of time, returns and risk.

Because providing young people with a stronger financial start is important, but equally important is equipping them with the knowledge and skills to understand it, manage it and make the most of it.

Young people should not merely be the recipients of policies designed for them. They should also have a voice in shaping them.

Since 2017, Get Involved has placed the promotion of financial literacy, alongside strengthening and amplifying the voice of young people, at the heart of its work.

We are here, and ready, to contribute.