JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Banking experts agree that banks must\nstrengthen internal supervision to ensure that incidents similar to the\nembezzlement of Rp 28 billion from the Catholic Church of Aek Nabara\nParish in North Sumatra by a bank employee do not recur.<\/p>\n
Banking expert and Senior Vice President of the Indonesian Banking\nDevelopment Institute (LPPI) Trioksa Siahaan stated that banks need to\nbolster internal controls and supervision to minimise the potential for\nmisconduct by rogue employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cMitigation steps from banks include strengthening internal controls\nand supervision of bank employees, and opening easily accessible\ncomplaint services for customers,\u201d he told Kompas.com on Monday\n(20\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
In addition, banks must be more proactive in educating customers\nabout banking programmes or products and remain vigilant against\nunreasonable product offers, including those promising high returns.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Senior Analyst at the Indonesia Strategic and Economic\nAction Institution (ISEAI) Ronny P. Sasmita said that this case\nindicates gaps in banking governance and a lack of financial literacy\namong the public.<\/p>\n
Therefore, mitigation efforts cannot be limited to merely tightening\nbanking transaction procedures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just about tightening procedures, but building a system\nthat does not rely solely on individual integrity,\u201d he told Kompas.com\non Monday.<\/p>\n
According to him, banks need to strengthen the internal control\narchitecture through clear separation of functions between front office,\nmiddle office, and back office that are truly independent.<\/p>\n
In addition, internal audits should be conducted not only routinely\nbut also on a risk-based basis, as well as utilising data\nanalytics-based fraud detection systems capable of reading suspicious\ntransaction patterns in real-time.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Ronny stated that banks need to implement job rotations\nin sensitive positions and mandatory leave as instruments to break\npotential structured fraud schemes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf one person can control the flow from start to finish, that is not\nefficiency, but an open invitation to misconduct,\u201d said Ronny.<\/p>\n
Besides internal improvements, he also assessed the need for higher\ntransparency in relations between banks and customers, particularly\ninstitutional customers such as foundations or religious\norganisations.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that education is not sufficient at the time of\naccount opening but must continue in the form of financial governance\nsupport.<\/p>\n
Because many organisations are strong morally but weak in terms of\nfinancial control systems.<\/p>\n
This gap is often exploited by unscrupulous individuals.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing forward, we also need to change our perception of banking that\nthe strength of a bank is not just in interest rates or digital\nservices, but also in how strongly they build trust based on systems,\nnot just reputation through promotions and advertisements,\u201d he\nconcluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/not-just-tightening-procedures-what-banks-must-do-to-prevent-the-rp-28-billion-church-fund-embezzlement-case-1776700249", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }