Bank Indonesia urges wider use of local currencies in trade and investment
The central bank also backed the G20 cross-border payments roadmap and is expanding domestic use of QRIS.
Bank Indonesia is pushing for more international trade and investment to be settled in local currencies, aiming to limit reliance on third-country currencies and exposure to global exchange-rate volatility, Governor Destry Damayanti said.
Destry outlined the position during the IMF–World Bank annual meetings and G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meetings, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 12–18 October 2026. She and Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara led Indonesia’s delegation.
In a statement cited on 18 October, Destry backed the G20 roadmap for cross-border payments, saying faster, cheaper, more transparent and accessible transactions would benefit businesses, international trade and financial inclusion. She said geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, cyber threats and financial-market risks made international cooperation increasingly important.
Within Indonesia, the central bank is broadening QRIS use among young people and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It expects this to help establish digital transaction histories and widen access to formal financing.
Finance ministers and central bank governors at the IMF–World Bank meetings agreed on a Global Policy Agenda covering macroeconomic and financial stability, business conditions, labour-market modernisation, AI and digitalisation. Other priorities included debt risks, global imbalances, trade flows and stronger global financial safety nets.
The G20 discussions covered financial regulation and supervision, simpler rules and technological innovation while maintaining financial stability. The forum also marked the handover of the G20 Finance Track presidency from the United States to the United Kingdom.
