BSI expands financial inclusion in Aceh to remote areas
Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI) has stated that it continues to expand Sharia financial inclusion in the Aceh Province to remote areas through its BSI Agent network, which now has more than 19,293 agents.
“Strengthening the agent network is part of the company’s strategy to deepen literacy and inclusion in Sharia banking. BSI is committed to expanding services to the remote areas of Aceh and encouraging community welfare through BSI Agents,” said Regional CEO of BSI Aceh, Imsak Ramadhan in Banda Aceh, Thursday.
He explained that this step is in line with BSI’s efforts to deepen the penetration of literacy and inclusion in Sharia banking through the increasing distribution of agents throughout Aceh.
He said that BSI Agents are an extension of the company in providing branchless banking services. The public can easily access Sharia financial services through this network, especially for those who are far from BSI branches.
Throughout 2023, the performance of BSI Agents in Aceh showed significant growth, with transaction volume reaching IDR 69 trillion, an increase of 27.20 percent year-on-year (YoY).
The number of agents also grew by an average of about 5 percent each year, along with increasing public interest in joining as agents as an additional source of income.
BSI Agents serve various financial transactions, ranging from cash withdrawals, cash deposits, and transfers between BSI accounts and other banks. In addition, there are also services for purchasing and payments, topping up e-wallets, references for pawn and gold installments, to opening and paying for Hajj pilgrimage costs.
He said that the average income of BSI Agents ranges from IDR 1-2 million per month with transactions reaching more than 800 transactions per month.
He added that the majority of agents that have operated are micro-enterprises such as owners of grocery stores and mobile phone credit counters.
BSI Agents can be adopted by various groups of people with a relatively easy registration process, namely through the nearest BSI branch for people who already have an active business. The agents receive additional income from fees for each transaction made by customers.
He said that to optimize performance and increase the enthusiasm of the agents, BSI also held the BSI Agent End-of-Year Festival in the November-December 2023 period. The program is a form of appreciation for the contribution of agents in expanding Sharia financial services.
During this period, the grand prize in the form of a Scoopy motorcycle was won by BSI Agent Maswadi from the Banda Aceh Area. The award is expected to motivate agents to continue to improve the quality of service to the community.
BSI is optimistic that through the strengthening of the network and ongoing appreciation programs, Sharia financial inclusion in Aceh will be more evenly distributed and have a real impact on the economic growth of the community.