Bank Indonesia expands use of its government credit card system to retail usage
Interim Governor of Indonesia's Central Bank Destry Damayanti, arrives at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 27.
PHOTO: Reuters file
JAKARTA — Indonesia's central bank has expanded the use of a credit card it developed for government bodies to consumers and businesses, as part of an effort to lift purchasing power and support the economic growth of Southeast Asia's largest economy.
Below are details from Bank Indonesia's (BI) statement released on Monday (Aug 17):
The "Indonesia Credit Card", which uses the domestic payment system, can now be used by individuals and corporations, BI said.
The central bank had launched the card in 2022 for use by government entities, with an aim of speeding up government spending.
Eight local banks can issue the card to the public: Bank Central Asia, Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, CIMB Niaga, Permata Bank, Bank Mega and Bank Syariah Indonesia, the central bank said.
The card can be used at merchants that accept Quick Response code payments, including internationally, BI said.
In the April-June quarter, government transactions on the credit cards totalled 147.8 billion rupiah (S$10.6 million), an increase of around 70 per cent from the same period last year, BI added.
BI said the Indonesia Credit Card will coexist with credit cards issued by international card principals and the public can choose which card they use.
US firms Visa and Mastercard are the dominant players in Indonesia's credit card sector, state news agency Antara reported last year, citing Destry Damayanti, who was BI's senior Deputy Governor at the time and is currently the acting Governor.
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