From a Small Kiosk, Bu Aas Expands to Serve Residents Through Three BRILink Branches

Aas Asnarisa frequently moves back and forth to her BRILink kiosks. Conversations pause momentarily as she serves a steady stream of customers. The bustling activity on that afternoon illustrates that the BRILink service is not only a business opportunity for Aas but also a much-needed financial access point for the community. Located in Kampung Sawah, Cikarageman Village, Setu District, Bekasi Regency, Aas’s kiosk has become a mainstay for residents conducting various banking transactions. Locals no longer need to travel far to a bank for cash withdrawals, transfers, bill payments, or BPJS services. Aas’s journey in building this business did not start as large as it is now. Four years ago, she only had a small kiosk adjacent to her grocery store. She initially received an offer to become a BRILink agent at the end of 2021. After carefully considering the potential of the financial transaction service business, the 36-year-old woman decided to join as a BRILink agent and began operations in January 2022. The journey was not easy. In the first year, Aas did not yet have an EDC machine and relied solely on her mobile phone to serve residents’ transactions. Her initial capital was only IDR 10 million. ‘It really required a struggle. I had to make people trust that they could do banking transactions with me even though I didn’t have a machine at that time,’ Aas said during a conversation at her home. Exactly a year later, Aas finally received an EDC machine. Since then, the daily financial transactions she handles have steadily increased. ‘Because I can serve those using cards. When I didn’t have the machine, I only handled transfers,’ Aas explained. Seeing the growing potential, Aas renovated her kiosk to make it look more fitting as an official BRI partner. She then opened two additional branches in 2024, still located around Kampung Sawah. ‘After this renovation, thank God, transactions improved because perhaps the community trusts me more, as I am an official BRI agent,’ Aas said. Aas noted that each branch can handle dozens to hundreds of transactions per day during busy periods. Her customers are diverse, ranging from construction workers and farmers to other residents needing daily transaction services. This is especially true when government aid programmes are disbursed; residents usually flock to Aas’s BRILink kiosks to transact. From each kiosk she manages, Aas can earn IDR 5 to 10 million per month. She believes this business opportunity is quite promising because the community’s need for financial transaction services is constant. ‘Thank God, it’s potential. Because the location is far from the bank. Moreover, bank offices are usually crowded with queues,’ Aas said. She is grateful that the income has improved her family’s economy, with daily needs always met. ‘I am very grateful. It has really helped my family’s economy, especially mine. It has increased, and we can meet the family’s daily needs,’ Aas said. She has also been able to empower her family members to work at the BRILink kiosks. Currently, two of her younger siblings manage the two branches. Furthermore, she feels the presence of BRILink benefits the residents of her village. Aas says her kiosk is always sought after when it is closed. ‘If I close, people ask, ’When are you opening? I want to transfer or withdraw cash.’ So, thank God, I can help the community around here,’ she said. However, Aas acknowledges that managing a BRILink agency is also full of challenges, including attempted fraud at her kiosk. ‘There have also been transactions with counterfeit money,’ Aas said. To face these challenges, Aas focuses on running her business according to the standards set by BRI. She also continuously strives to maintain the trust the community has placed in her. ‘We transact after we receive the money. That’s the core principle. So, I don’t trust even a relative, family member, or neighbour who says, ’Send it first.’ That is not possible with me,’ Aas stated. Looking ahead, Aas hopes her BRILink kiosks will continue to grow. She wants to open another BRILink branch elsewhere. ‘Hopefully, I can open another branch, so I can help the economy,’ she added. Head of BRI Setu Bekasi Unit, Setia Adi, welcomed the positive role of BRILink Agents as a mainstay for residents’ financial transactions. He affirmed BRI’s commitment to bringing banking services closer to people’s homes. ‘We are essentially bringing BRI services right to their doorstep while simultaneously creating new business opportunities for the community,’ Adi said in a separate interview. He also stated that BRI will continue expanding its BRILink Agents to drive the community’s economy and create jobs. ‘We are continuously expanding BRILink Agents to remote areas because that is our target, as an extension of BRI, to facilitate transactions, but also to open new jobs and drive the village economy,’ Adi said.