{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1587581,
        "msgid": "top-this-brilink-agent-swiftly-serves-grobogan-residents-on-the-frontline-1772625699",
        "date": "2026-03-04 17:50:05",
        "title": "Top! This BRILink Agent Swiftly Serves Grobogan Residents on the Frontline",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Banking",
        "summary": "In Grobogan, Central Java, a BRILink Agent opened in 2018 when Rumiatun turned her fertiliser kiosk into a banking outlet, enabling cash withdrawals, transfers and BPNT disbursements and boosting financial inclusion. Despite initial challenges, BRILink now spans over 1.1 million agents across 66,000 villages by December 2025, underpinning broader financial access and inclusive economic activity.",
        "content": "<p>Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia \u2013 Access to banking services once confronted\nresidents of Prigi Village, RT 05\/RW 01, Kedungjati District, Grobogan\nRegency, Central Java Province. For cash withdrawals, deposits, or\nsimply checking balances, residents had to travel quite a distance to\nthe bank branch. Consequently, time, energy and transport costs became\nsignificant challenges, particularly for farmers. Observing the limited\naccess to banking services in the village, in 2018, Rumiatun, one of the\nvillagers, decided to take a bold step by becoming a BRILink Agent. The\ndecision stemmed from her experience running a fertiliser kiosk, which\ngave her insight into the daily economic needs and transaction patterns\nof the local community. Armed with closeness to residents and experience\nas a trader, she recognised that people\u2019s needs went beyond consumer\ngoods and farming supplies to include accessible financial services.\nGiven many residents had to travel far to the bank for even simple\ntransactions. From there, Rumiatun began developing her kiosk into a\nBRILink Agent service point as an extension of banking services down to\nthe village level. The result is that, in addition to continuing the\nfertiliser kiosk, she now handles various financial transactions such as\ncash withdrawals, transfers and bill payments. And the BRILink presence\nin her kiosk has not only simplified access to formal financial services\nbut also boosted the village\u2019s economic turnover, making it more\nefficient and inclusive. \u2018My intention is so that villagers no longer\nneed to go far if they want to withdraw money or collect assistance,\u2019\nRumiatun said in a written statement on Wednesday (4 March 2026). Since\nthen, a range of transactions can be done more locally. Residents can\nnow not only withdraw cash and deposit money, but also transfer and pay\nbills. One service most felt by the community is the disbursement of\nNon-Cash Food Aid (BPNT). Like a mini ATM, Rumiatun acts as an agent\nhelping aid recipients to check their balance and withdraw cash quickly\nthrough BRILink Agent. \u2018BPNT disbursement no longer has to be done at a\nbank branch, because through BRILink Agent, the service is available\ncloser, more efficient and more practical for village residents,\u2019 she\nsaid. However, Rumiatun\u2019s journey as a BRILink Agent in Grobogan Regency\nhas not all been smooth. In the early days of operation, she had to face\nlow understanding among residents about BRILink services. Many residents\ndid not yet know that transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits,\ntransfers and even social assistance disbursements could be done\ndirectly in the village without going to a bank branch. Some even did\nnot have ATM cards or bank books, so financial literacy challenges\npersisted. The situation demanded more than just the ability to process\ntransactions. In her role, Rumiatun eventually became not only a BRILink\nAgent but also a bridge for financial education among the surrounding\ncommunity. She actively educated about the benefits of saving, using\nbanking services, and the importance of transacting through the formal\nfinancial system. As time went on, these efforts built trust and\nencouraged residents to become more familiar with and take full\nadvantage of banking services. After eight years as a BRILink Agent,\nRumiatun thanked BRI for the opportunity, enabling her to help local\nresidents with their financial transactions. She also hopes to continue\noptimising BRILink Agent services as an additional business, aiming to\nincrease transaction volumes and expand the customer network. She\nbelieves that with consistent, honest and trustworthy service, her\nBRILink Agent can remain viable, trusted, and become both a centre of\nfinancial services and a hub for local agricultural needs. In a separate\ninterview, Akhmad Purwakajaya, Director of Micro BRI, stated that as\npart of efforts to increase public participation in economic activity,\nBRI continues to promote financial inclusion and to foster a sharing\neconomy by involving residents as BRILink Agents. By the end of December\n2025, the number of BRILink Agents had reached more than 1.1 million,\nshowing a year-on-year growth of 12.2%. The agents are spread across\n66,000 villages, reaching more than 80% of the country, including in 3T\n(frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped) areas. \u2018The role of BRILink\nAgents has now transformed from transaction service providers to\nlifestyle micro providers. This reflects BRI\u2019s consistency in building\nan inclusive financial ecosystem and empowering people,\u2019 concluded\nAkhmad.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/top-this-brilink-agent-swiftly-serves-grobogan-residents-on-the-frontline-1772625699",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}