BCA Make New Step for Rural Area Banking Services

[caption caption="Rajib Saha, CEO of Indepay Networks was signing contract with BCA at BCA Tower Monday, 21st December 2015. (Ella Yusuf)"][/caption]

Only 25% of Indonesian people are familiar with banking services until now, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) commissioner for banking supervision Nelson Tampubolon stated in mid-September.

Moreover, at least 82% of Indonesians have not used banking services -this is based on Indepay Network's observation-, while the expansion of the financial services is the key to reduce poverty and improve Indonesia’s economy.

OJK carries out the Laku Pandai pilot project on this basis, a branchless banking concept in the context of inclusive finance. The application of this project is expected to extend the services, particularly banking services, to all regions in Indonesia, especially in rural areas. OJK formed the Laku Pandai a year ago with Branchless banking concept.

And in order to support the Laku Pandai project, PT Bank Central Asia Tbk. signed a cooperation agreement with Indepay Networks and officially launched  Lowcost Payment Network service or "Laku BCA" on Monday (21/12). This is a branchless banking concept that allow business agents in various areas to open BCA’s banking services while running their individual businesses.

BCA will expand their network services and there will be selected agents -on every small region- which are able to open their own BCA Banking services, such as opening and managing accounts, checking balances, and cash withdrawals.

BCA and Indepay create the pilot project in two places so far, Grobogan in Central Java and Cigugur, Kuningan in West Java to make sure that the system of the Laku BCA goes smoothly in Indonesia.

"Cooperation agreement between BCA and Indepay through a low cost payment network will provide great benefits for the wider community as a cost low enough, the number of target people are also getting bigger," CEO of Indepay Networks Rajib Saha said at the Contract signing. Indepay is a tech Company which hold a global payments technology platform based in India. BCA chooses this company as peer colaboration because Indepay had been succeed to built up a retail payment infrastructure in India. “We choose Indepay because BCA want to reduce trial and error phase in using the Laku BCA,” Sugiono said in his opening speech.

The Independent Commissioner of BCA, Cyrillus Harinowo, Director of BCA Suwignyo Budiman, Director of BCA Henry Koenaifi. CEO Indepay Networks, Rajib Saha and Indepay Networks vice president John Lee on the BCA Tower attended the contract signing and the low cost payment network’s launching.