Top! This BRILink Agent Swiftly Serves Grobogan Residents on the Frontline

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Access to banking services once confronted residents of Prigi Village, RT 05/RW 01, Kedungjati District, Grobogan Regency, Central Java Province. For cash withdrawals, deposits, or simply checking balances, residents had to travel quite a distance to the bank branch. Consequently, time, energy and transport costs became significant challenges, particularly for farmers. Observing the limited access to banking services in the village, in 2018, Rumiatun, one of the villagers, decided to take a bold step by becoming a BRILink Agent. The decision stemmed from her experience running a fertiliser kiosk, which gave her insight into the daily economic needs and transaction patterns of the local community. Armed with closeness to residents and experience as a trader, she recognised that people’s needs went beyond consumer goods and farming supplies to include accessible financial services. Given many residents had to travel far to the bank for even simple transactions. From there, Rumiatun began developing her kiosk into a BRILink Agent service point as an extension of banking services down to the village level. The result is that, in addition to continuing the fertiliser kiosk, she now handles various financial transactions such as cash withdrawals, transfers and bill payments. And the BRILink presence in her kiosk has not only simplified access to formal financial services but also boosted the village’s economic turnover, making it more efficient and inclusive. ‘My intention is so that villagers no longer need to go far if they want to withdraw money or collect assistance,’ Rumiatun said in a written statement on Wednesday (4 March 2026). Since then, a range of transactions can be done more locally. Residents can now not only withdraw cash and deposit money, but also transfer and pay bills. One service most felt by the community is the disbursement of Non-Cash Food Aid (BPNT). Like a mini ATM, Rumiatun acts as an agent helping aid recipients to check their balance and withdraw cash quickly through BRILink Agent. ‘BPNT disbursement no longer has to be done at a bank branch, because through BRILink Agent, the service is available closer, more efficient and more practical for village residents,’ she said. However, Rumiatun’s journey as a BRILink Agent in Grobogan Regency has not all been smooth. In the early days of operation, she had to face low understanding among residents about BRILink services. Many residents did not yet know that transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits, transfers and even social assistance disbursements could be done directly in the village without going to a bank branch. Some even did not have ATM cards or bank books, so financial literacy challenges persisted. The situation demanded more than just the ability to process transactions. In her role, Rumiatun eventually became not only a BRILink Agent but also a bridge for financial education among the surrounding community. She actively educated about the benefits of saving, using banking services, and the importance of transacting through the formal financial system. As time went on, these efforts built trust and encouraged residents to become more familiar with and take full advantage of banking services. After eight years as a BRILink Agent, Rumiatun thanked BRI for the opportunity, enabling her to help local residents with their financial transactions. She also hopes to continue optimising BRILink Agent services as an additional business, aiming to increase transaction volumes and expand the customer network. She believes that with consistent, honest and trustworthy service, her BRILink Agent can remain viable, trusted, and become both a centre of financial services and a hub for local agricultural needs. In a separate interview, Akhmad Purwakajaya, Director of Micro BRI, stated that as part of efforts to increase public participation in economic activity, BRI continues to promote financial inclusion and to foster a sharing economy by involving residents as BRILink Agents. By the end of December 2025, the number of BRILink Agents had reached more than 1.1 million, showing a year-on-year growth of 12.2%. The agents are spread across 66,000 villages, reaching more than 80% of the country, including in 3T (frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped) areas. ‘The role of BRILink Agents has now transformed from transaction service providers to lifestyle micro providers. This reflects BRI’s consistency in building an inclusive financial ecosystem and empowering people,’ concluded Akhmad.