September 10, 2026 | 06:29 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Earlier this week, a proposed new policy suddenly captured the public's attention. Amidst the flurry of news regarding natural disasters, the latest announcement from the Palace—a plan to ensure every Indonesian citizen aged 17 and older holds a bank account—became a major topic of public discussion.
The Indonesian government’s plan was initially unveiled during a limited meeting led by President Prabowo Subianto and his officials at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, September 7, 2026.
The President’s push for Indonesians to own bank accounts stems from survey and census data compiled by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Statistics Indonesia (BPS), which indicate financial inclusion and financial literacy rates of 93.62 percent and 63.57 percent, respectively.
To realize this initiative, Prabowo has asked PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI) and PT Bank Syariah Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BSI) to prepare the program. He hopes the initiative will expand public access to financial services while simultaneously boosting financial literacy.
How have relevant parties responded to this, and just how urgent is the program? To gain a clearer picture of the pros and cons of opening bank accounts for 17-year-olds—as well as the implications for the banking sector of opening these new accounts—Tempo journalist Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi interviewed several sources.
First, Alfi gathered information from Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Airlangga explained that the President's mandated program to open 200 million subsidized accounts would be backed by Rp11 trillion from the state budget. He also expressed optimism that the program would not cause financial losses for the two state-owned banks involved, despite the absence of administrative fees.
Next, Alfi contacted Haryo Limasento, the spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Haryo outlined the policy's objectives, which include expanding banking access, streamlining cashless transactions, and ensuring that social assistance reaches the intended recipients.
Alfi also reached out to the management of BSI and BRI. In a written statement, BSI President Director Anggoro Eko Cahyo advocated for the account expansion program as a means to strengthen customer financial literacy, encouraging them to actively invest or save for the future.
Meanwhile, BRI President Director Hery Gunardi emphasized that account opening must be accompanied by education to ensure customers actively engage with the formal financial ecosystem and utilize various digital services.
To understand the risks associated with implementing this policy, Alfi interviewed Josua Pardede, Chief Economist at Bank Permata. Josua highlighted several potential issues, ranging from disparities in financial literacy and the creation of duplicate accounts to increased operational costs for banks and the risk of dormant accounts being misused for online gambling or fraud.
Finally, Alfi contacted Trioksa Siahaan, Senior Vice President at the Indonesian Banking Development Institute (LPPI). Trioksa noted that the program's success should ultimately be measured by transaction activity and the volume of funds remaining in the savings accounts. In other words, the government cannot simply declare success based on hitting the target of 200 million new bank accounts.
Alfitria presented her reporting and discussions with policymakers in two articles titled "Manfaat-Risiko Pembukaan Rekening Bank Massal" (Benefits and Risks of Mass Bank Account Opening) and Apa Dampak Pembukaan 200 Juta Rekening Bagi Bank (The Impact of Opening 200 Million Accounts on Banks).
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