BI Riau Distributes Record Rp8 Billion in Sovereign Rupiah Expedition to Remote Islands

Bank Indonesia (BI) Riau Representative Office is distributing Rp8 billion in the 2026 Sovereign Rupiah Expedition (ERB) to ensure the availability of fit-for-circulation currency in the frontier, outermost, and remote (3T) regions of the province. Head of the BI Riau Representative Office, Panji Achmad, stated that the funds are being distributed to Rupat Island, Bengkalis Island, Mendil Island, Sei Guntung, and Tebing Tinggi Island. The nominal amount of Rp8 billion for the 2026 Riau ERB is the largest in the history of the programme conducted by the office.

‘This reflects Bank Indonesia’s increasingly strong commitment to delivering rupiah to Indonesia’s frontier regions,’ Panji said after the departure ceremony in Pekanbaru on Monday. He explained that the activity, running from 21 to 27 July, is being carried out in cooperation with the Indonesian Navy using the KRI Lepu. The departure ceremony was also attended by the Acting Governor of Riau, SF Hariyanto, the Regional Leadership Communication Forum of Riau Province and Pekanbaru City, and representatives from banking offices in Riau.

Panji explained that BI has been running the ERB programme since 2012, and to date, 160 activities have been conducted, reaching approximately 766 islands across Indonesia. The programme has also received an award from the Central Banking Awards as an innovation by Bank Indonesia in currency distribution services to remote areas. ‘In Riau Province, the ERB was first held in 2019. This year’s event is the fifth implementation, following previous ones using the KRI Barakuda and KRI Beledau,’ he revealed. Various educational activities will also be carried out, including the dissemination of the Cinta, Bangga, dan Paham Rupiah (Love, Pride, and Understanding of Rupiah) programme, mobile cash services, the signing of a joint commitment, and the planting of 10,000 mangrove trees in North Rupat as part of environmental conservation efforts.