Indonesia prepares rules for automatic bank accounts at age 17
The planned free accounts would receive Rp50,000 from the government, with rules to protect the initial balance from fees.
Indonesia is preparing regulations to give citizens automatic bank accounts once they reach 17 and hold a national identity card, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said. Speaking in Jakarta on 20 October 2026, he said the initiative was part of the government's fourth-quarter programme.
The accounts would be linked to each recipient's population identification number, or NIK, as part of efforts to widen access to financial services. The government is preparing two state-owned banks as the initial providers: PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI) and PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI).
Each account would receive an initial government deposit of Rp50,000. Airlangga said special rules would be prepared with Bank Indonesia and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to ensure administration charges and other fees do not reduce that balance.
Airlangga had previously said the accounts would also provide a channel for government programmes, including direct social assistance payments. The government expects linking accounts with population records to make aid distribution faster, more accurately targeted and more efficient.
The government also plans to connect the accounts to the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) payment system. Micro, small and medium-sized businesses would automatically receive QRIS facilities without merchant discount rate (MDR) charges, according to Airlangga.
He separately denied that the government planned to distribute mobile phones to recipients of the free accounts, saying such a measure had never been discussed.
