Major banks vow to fill up ATMs in cash scramble

JAKARTA (JP): Major local banks pledged yesterday to provide more cash to their customers as thousands of people braved long queues behind automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Customer service officials at Bank International Indonesia (BII), Bank Bali and Bank Central Asia (BCA) said the banks had injected billions of rupiah into their ATMs to ensure that all customers would be able to withdraw money.

They said customers were allowed to withdraw up to Rp 1 million (US$80) per day from ATMs.

"We are committed to serving our customers," Jeffry, an executive of Bank Bali, told The Jakarta Post.

A customer relations official at BCA said that customers with golden ATM cards could withdraw up to Rp 2 million from the bank's ATMs in one day.

Thousands of people took advantage of a lull in violence to stock up on food supplies and refill their wallets.

By early afternoon, however, the rush had subsided and business returned to normal.

Most commercial banks closed early last Thursday amid widespread looting and burning in the city and only reopened for rupiah transactions yesterday.

BCA, owned by tycoon Liem Sioe Liong of the Salim Group and children of President Soeharto, announced yesterday that 122 branch offices and 150 ATMs were burned or damaged by angry mobs during the riots.

"Total financial losses due to looting from ATMs could reach Rp 3 billion," the bank said.

ATMs belonging to the bank which are still operational include those located in BCA Fatmawati in South Jakarta, the PLN building in Gambir, Gambir railway station, Patrajasa building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, the BCA office in Jatinegara, the police headquarters in South Jakarta, Goro in Kelapa Gading, Ariobimo, Graha Permata and Setiabudi buildings in Kuningan, the BCA office in Pondok Indah, Gatot Subroto hospital, Dharmais Hospital, the World Trade Center (WTC) building, Jakarta Theater and the Sarinah building in Central Jakarta.

Yesterday afternoon dozens of people could still be seen patiently waiting in long queues to withdraw money from the BCA cash machine in the entrance hall of the World Trade Center building on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

Some even patiently sat on the floor and chatted while they waited.

"Many people came here earlier but left immediately when they saw how many people were queuing," a security guard said.

There was a rush in the morning as many people flocked to the machine to withdraw money, he said.

"They even crowded out onto the concourse and disturbed traffic in the parking lot," he said.

The gateway to the BCA central office in Plaza Central on Jl. Sudirman was closed and guarded by security personnel backed up by army officers.

They distributed brief notes, saying the Bank would be open for business before noon and another stating the whereabouts of operational ATMs in the city.

"We don't know if the announcement applies only to today or tomorrow as well," Ramudji, one of the security guards, said.

Meanwhile in Plaza Lippo on Jl. Sudirman, the sole Lippo Bank ATM was out of order and the bank's office was closed by noon.

"We've walked from one a building to another in search of a Lippo Bank cash machine, but all in vain," Aji, an employee of Maruzen book store, said.

Aji, a resident of Depok, came to the building with his colleague who also wanted to withdraw money.

"We haven't had money for three days during these uncertain times. Who knows if there will be another riot in two or three days time," he said, adding that the money was needed to buy food supplies.

He admitted that he had gone to at least three buildings along the street during his lunch break.

"First I joined very long queues in Wisma Metropolitan I and II, where I spent at least two hours. Then I left because I had to go back to my office," he said.

Employees, who returned to work yesterday at Plaza Indonesia, an exclusive shopping center on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, after it temporarily closed following last week's riots, found that their stores would remain closed until Friday.

An employee, who identified herself only as Ida, expressed concern about the size of her salary this month.

"I wish I could receive my full salary this month. I don't have enough money right now. None of us expected the riots and looting to happen," she said.

At the branch office of state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta, local people were queuing up both to withdraw cash and deposit money.

Edi, a resident of Kramat Sentiong, said he had deposited his money because he considered it unsafe to keep it at home. (ivy/emf/aly)