Prabowo Urges State Banks to Become 'Patriotic Banks', Not Just Chase Profits

President Prabowo Subianto has requested that banks within the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) broaden financing access for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He urged the state-owned banks not merely to pursue profit, but also to contribute to creating economic equality.

This was disclosed by the Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) RI, Muhammad Qodari, following a meeting between President Prabowo and Himbara executives on 18 June 2026. Qodari stated that President Prabowo emphasised the banking sector’s strategic role as an economic driver, the benefits of which must be increasingly felt by the wider community, especially MSMEs that form the backbone of the national economy.

“During the meeting, the President stressed a new paradigm regarding the role of Himbara in the future. The President wants Himbara to become what is termed patriotic banking,” Qodari said in a statement on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. The concept of patriotic banking means that state-owned banks are not measured solely by the size of their profits, but also by their contribution to creating economic equality and opening wider business opportunities for the public.

Prabowo urged Himbara to be more active in reaching out to MSME players and expanding the distribution of financing to productive sectors. “Access to financing must be more open, easier to reach, and provided fairly to all levels of society that have the potential to develop,” he said. The President also encouraged Himbara not just to wait for prospective debtors to come to branch offices, but to proactively go into the field to meet business actors and understand their needs. He wants state-owned banks to be present in the community and help open up financing access so that productive businesses can grow faster.

Nevertheless, President Prabowo stressed that expanding the social and economic functions of Himbara must not come at the expense of the banking industry’s health. The government ensures that state-owned banks will continue to be managed professionally with prudential principles and good governance. “The mandate to strengthen the social and economic role of Himbara will be carried out with high professionalism and good governance. Himbara banks will continue to be managed in a sound, prudent, and responsible manner,” Qodari explained.