Bank NTB Syariah Devises KUR Scheme for Migrant Workers, Eyes Payroll Deduction

Bank NTB Syariah is currently devising a scheme to channel People’s Business Credit (KUR) specifically for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI). This move comes as the repayment of KUR instalments by PMI working abroad is still hampered by collection mechanisms.

President Director of Bank NTB Syariah, Nazaruddin, stated that the biggest challenge in disbursing KUR for PMI is the reluctance of foreign companies to get involved in the payment of KUR instalments received from the bank. The majority of employers abroad, Nazaruddin explained, refuse to make direct salary deductions to pay bank instalments in Indonesia.

"If it’s domestic, it’s easy. Abroad, it’s different. Companies there do not want to deduct workers’ salaries because they consider credit matters to be the worker’s own business," Nazaruddin said in Mataram on Wednesday (8/7/2026).

To circumvent this obstacle, Bank NTB Syariah is now designing a standing instruction tactic, an automatic payment instruction. This strategy will be locked in before the PMI arrives at their work placement. Nazaruddin emphasised that before flying to the destination country, PMI must sign a standing instruction clause during the financing agreement. Once they arrive in the placement country and receive a payroll account from their workplace, the payment system will be directly integrated.

"I only need the person to sign the standing instruction here before they depart. After their payroll account in Malaysia is opened, the account number is sent to us to be linked," Nazaruddin stated.

Bank NTB Syariah continues to build communication with several giant corporations in Malaysia to smooth this plan, including palm oil plantation companies. The target is for the palm oil bosses to submit the payroll account number data of PMI from NTB. "Later, Bank NTB Syariah will also partner with Maybank Indonesia and Maybank Malaysia. This can smooth the path for cross-border transactions," Nazaruddin said.

Nazaruddin has scheduled himself and the Head of the NTB Manpower and Transmigration Office, Aidy Furqon, to fly directly to Malaysia at the end of July 2026. The main mission is to finalise the KUR instalment payment scheme with employers there. "The most difficult one is Malaysia. If this most difficult one is resolved, it feels like other countries just need to adopt the same format," Nazaruddin remarked.

Nazaruddin clarified that this PMI KUR fund is not for broker fees or departure costs, considering the scheme to Malaysia is zero cost. "So this capital injection is purely intended as a guarantee for living costs for workers and the families left behind in their hometowns," he explained.

It is known that Bank NTB Syariah has just received an additional PMI KUR ceiling injection of IDR 10 billion. As a result, the total KUR ceiling managed now amounts to IDR 40 billion, with details of IDR 30 billion for general KUR and IDR 10 billion specifically for PMI.