Meet Narsun, the BRILink 'Boss' Agent in West Java Who Successfully Expanded Social Protection for 7,000 Informal Workers

Bandung - The year 2014 marked the starting point of Narsun’s journey when the phone credit kiosk business he had been running since 2007 began to develop into an extension of financial and social security services for the community. The young man from Bandung started his business with minimal capital, renting a house in the City of Flowers to open a phone credit kiosk and sell mobile phones.

He never imagined that this simple business would one day bring him to an awards stage. Nearly two decades later, Narsun received car keys from the leadership of BRI and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan after successfully registering more than 7,000 informal workers as participants in the social security programme.

Narsun recounted that although he only started his business in 2007, his relationship with BRI had actually been established since around 2002, shortly after he completed his secondary education. “It has been a long time with BRI, around 2002. I think right after graduating from senior high school I immediately opened a BRI account,” he recalled.

Then, a new opportunity came in 2014. While Narsun was managing the phone credit kiosk he had built for about seven years, a BRI officer named Robi came to meet him. The offer he brought was not a loan or a savings product, but rather the opportunity to become a BRILink Agent, an agency-based banking service concept that was still unfamiliar to some communities at the time.

Accompanied directly by Robi as a BRI Mantri, Narsun then registered as a BRILink Agent through BRI Unit Bandung Naripan. Initially, he admitted that he did not fully understand the potential of the service. “Actually I did not really understand and was not very interested because the initial transactions were few, they could be counted on one hand,” he said.

Becoming a BRILink Agent was initially seen only as a side job alongside his kiosk management activities. However, that view slowly changed after Narsun attended a gathering organised by BRI for its agents.

At the event, he saw how agents with good performance received appreciation for their achievements. “There was proof there, many got prizes such as gold and televisions. I felt challenged and motivated because the prizes were extraordinary,” Narsun recounted.

From there, Narsun saw BRILink Agent not merely as an additional service at his kiosk, but as a business that could be managed and developed seriously. He also revealed that this motivation grew stronger because he felt direct support from BRI at various stages of his business development. He assessed that a number of BRI officers paid great attention to the complaints and input of agents in the field. “The two of them were very attentive to my complaints and input,” he said.

Thanks to continuously increasing transaction volumes, Narsun has now attained the BRILink Agent ‘Juragan’ category, a top-level agent with the highest monthly transaction volume and superior performance. It is recorded that his BRILink Agent has served an average of 3,840 transactions per month. Narsun’s success is also supported by a consistent service strategy. Since 2015, he has not only waited for people to come to his kiosk, but has actively implemented a proactive outreach system by visiting the homes of customers who want to pay electricity bills or transfer money.

This approach has helped him get closer to the community while expanding his customer base. As a result, since 2015 Narsun has received awards almost every year through various BRI appreciation programmes.

As technology has developed, Narsun’s strategy has also evolved. He built a WhatsApp group that now has nearly 500 members from the neighbourhood where he lives. The group is not only used to offer services, but is also managed as a space for sharing information and interacting with the community. “So they do not get bored, I give them quizzes. Any information is there,” he explained.

In fact, when the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan programme began to be promoted, Narsun used this network to introduce the importance of social security protection. As a first step, he offered registration to the first 10 people who came to his kiosk.

These efforts did not always run smoothly. The local urban village initially rejected his invitation to hold a socialisation event because it assumed all residents had already received protection from the government.

Narsun did not give up. He explained that small traders and MSME players who are classified as non-wage workers actually face work risks and need access to social security programmes. This explanation was eventually accepted and the urban village provided space for Narsun to hold an official socialisation event for the community.

His persistence paid off. Narsun successfully registered 7,215 non-wage workers as BPJS Ketenagakerjaan participants. Through this participation, thousands of informal workers gained access to the Work Accident Insurance, Death Insurance, and Old Age Security programmes.

This achievement led Narsun to win a grand prize of one car. He also received two motorcycles. Narsun’s role also continues to grow. He is now trusted to be the Chairman of the West Java BRILink Agent Association and actively uses social media to introduce various products and services in the BRI ecosystem, including insurance protection from BRI Insurance and BRI Life.

On a separate occasion, BRI Corporate Secretary Dhanny said that Narsun’s journey demonstrates the strategic role of BRILink Agents, which not only expand access to financial services but also open business opportunities, create jobs, and bring the community closer to social protection programmes.

“Through collaboration with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, BRILink Agents can reach informal workers who have not yet received adequate protection. This synergy is expected to further expand financial inclusion while improving the welfare of informal workers in various regions,” he said.