Airlangga states free account programme will not commence this year

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, stated that the programme for free bank accounts for the public will not commence this year.

Throughout 2024, the government will focus on designing the programme’s scheme, including ensuring that opened accounts remain active and do not become dormant.

“We are still discussing it this year,” Airlangga said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He explained that the programme’s target includes citizens aged 17 and above. The government has prepared a budget of approximately Rp3.8 trillion to provide an initial balance of Rp50,000 for citizens over the age of 17.

As previously reported, the government is currently preparing the mechanism for the mass provision or creation of accounts for the entire population through Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI).

This follows instructions from President Prabowo Subianto to ensure every Indonesian citizen possesses a bank account to strengthen financial inclusion and financial literacy within the country.

To expand the reach of bank account ownership, the Civil Registry (Dukcapil) will be integrated with the Bank Indonesia system, particularly regarding payment systems and gateway systems, including QRIS.