JAKARTA \u2014 Bank Indonesia (BI) has recorded a significant increase in\npublic demand for new currency exchanges during the 2026 Ramadan and Eid\nal-Fitr period compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n
Muh. Anwar Bashori, head of BI\u2019s Currency Management Department,\nstated that as of 13 March 2026, a total of 1,076,282 people had\nexchanged money through official channels. This figure represents\napproximately an 85.4 per cent increase compared to the same period in\nthe previous year, when 580,496 people participated in currency\nexchanges.<\/p>\n
To accommodate this heightened demand, BI has significantly expanded\nits exchange service network across various regions. The number of\nservice points has increased to 9,294 locations this year, up from 5,202\nthe previous year.<\/p>\n
According to Bashori, the expansion of services aims to make it\neasier for the public to access official rupiah currency exchanges,\nparticularly to meet the needs of traditional gift-giving practices,\nholiday allowance (THR) distributions, and economic activities during\nRamadan and Eid al-Fitr.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe high demand and expanded services demonstrate that public demand\nfor small denomination notes for traditional gift-sharing, holiday\nallowance distributions, and economic activities during Ramadan and Eid\nal-Fitr remains very substantial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Beyond expanding service points, BI has also provided additional\nservices for citizens travelling for the Eid holiday exodus (mudik). On\n16-17 March 2026, BI launched special mudik-focused services under the\n\u201cSERAMBI Peduli Mudik\u201d programme.<\/p>\n
The programme operates at 55 service locations positioned at key\nmudik travel routes, including airports, railway stations, bus\nterminals, ports, and highway rest areas. BI has allocated approximately\n12,000 exchange packages through this additional service to facilitate\nthe needs of holiday travellers seeking small denomination notes before\nreturning to their hometowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cBI ensures the availability of sufficient rupiah currency in\nappropriate denominations through various official service channels,\nincluding mobile banking services, integrated services, and banking\ninstitutions,\u201d Bashori stated.<\/p>\n
He also cautioned the public to conduct currency exchanges\nexclusively through official BI channels and banking institutions to\nguarantee currency authenticity and transaction security.<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrency exchanges through unofficial buying and selling mechanisms\ncarry various risks, including unverified currency authenticity,\ndifficulty in ensuring accurate amounts, lack of protection or\naccountability, and vulnerability to fraud that could cause financial\nharm to the public,\u201d he warned.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ahead-of-eid-2026-bank-indonesia-records-85-4-per-cent-surge-in-new-currency-exchanges-1773698025", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }