Currency Exchangers Surge 85.4 Per Cent Ahead of Eid al-Fitr

Bank Indonesia (BI) has reported exceptionally high public demand to exchange rupiah currency ahead of Eid al-Fitr 2026. As of 13 March 2026, the number of people using official currency exchange services reached 1,076,282—a significant surge of 85.4 per cent compared to 580,496 exchangers recorded in the previous year.

Muhammad Anwar Bashori, Head of BI’s Money Management Department, stated that to meet this growing demand, Bank Indonesia has substantially expanded its service network. The number of service points has increased from 5,202 locations in the previous year to 9,294 locations this year. “This expansion ensures that public access to currency exchange services becomes increasingly widespread and convenient,” he said in a statement on Monday, 16 March 2026.

In response to the high demand, BI is operating additional currency exchange services on 16-17 March 2026, strategically positioned at major transit points including airports, train stations, terminals, ports, and rest areas. Approximately 11,900 currency exchange packages will be available through these supplementary services. Mobile cash services (kas keliling) have been deployed at Gambir Train Station on Monday, 16 March 2026, and will be available at Pasar Senen Train Station on 17 March 2026.

“Bank Indonesia ensures the availability of rupiah in sufficient quantities and appropriate denominations through various official service channels, including mobile cash services, integrated services, and banking institutions,” said Anwar. He also urged the public to exchange currency only through official BI and banking services to guarantee currency authenticity and transaction security.

For this year’s Eid al-Fitr celebration, BI has prepared 185.6 trillion rupiah in circulation-ready cash. Of this amount, 177 trillion rupiah has been allocated to meet banking sector requirements, including cash withdrawals through ATMs and bank branches. BI has reserved 8.6 trillion rupiah specifically for currency exchange services, with each exchange package offering up to 5.3 million rupiah in cash.