Beware of Provocations to Withdraw Money, State-Owned Banks Have the Best Performance in ASEAN

By: Lukman Keenan Adar )*

Provocations related to invitations to withdraw funds from state-owned banks are increasingly rampant on social media. This baseless information can cause panic among the public. In fact, state-owned banks actually have the best performance in the ASEAN region, showing high stability and credibility in managing customer funds.

Invitations to withdraw money from state-owned banks emerged along with the formation of the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara). The developing narrative leads to the fear that customer funds in state-owned banks will be used to fund the agency’s operations. In fact, this assumption is completely wrong and not supported by facts.

Chief Operation Officer (COO) of BPI Danantara, Dony Oskaria, emphasized that Danantara will operate with a multi-layered supervision system from the government. Public funds stored in state-owned banks are not used as capital by state-owned companies, but rather each state-owned company entity has its own business capital.

Thus, the issue regarding the use of customer funds for BUMN business capital is misinformation that must be corrected. In addition, Dony also highlighted that BUMN banks are currently the banking institutions with the best performance in ASEAN, so their credibility is not in doubt.

Chairman of Committee IV DPD RI, Ahmad Nawardi, also reminded the public not to be influenced by provocations that could harm themselves. The Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) which consists of several BUMN banks remains solid and trustworthy.

Customer funds are safe because these banks are managed with the principle of prudence and are strictly supervised by the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Bank Indonesia (BI), and the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS). This supervision ensures that bank finances remain stable and there is no reason for customers to feel worried.

Trust in the national banking system is a major factor in maintaining the country’s economic stability. Ahmad Nawardi emphasized that BUMN banks have strong financial fundamentals.

For example, Bank Mandiri recorded Third Party Funds (TPF) growth of 6.82 percent year-on-year (yoy) throughout 2024, reaching IDR 1,327 trillion. The ratio of non-performing loans (NPL) also experienced a significant decline, with gross NPL at 0.97 percent and net NPL at 0.33 percent. These indicators are clear evidence that national banking is in a healthy and trustworthy condition.

Full support for state-owned banks was also conveyed by the President Director of PT Bank Negara Indonesia Tbk (BNI), Royke Tumilaar. He stated that the call for large-scale withdrawals of funds from state-owned banks was misinterpreted information.

Third Party Funds (TPF) stored in state-owned banks remain safe and are not used for other purposes. What is used for the interests of state-owned companies are dividends that have been allocated, not customer funds. Royke also emphasized that until now there have been no large-scale withdrawals of funds at BNI, so the concerns that have emerged on social media are just baseless rumors.

The performance of state-owned banks that continues to show positive performance is the main reason not to be fooled by baseless provocative calls. Financial stability, strict supervision by regulators, and strong economic fundamentals make state-owned banks credible financial institutions.

The call to withdraw funds can actually harm the community itself, because trust in the national banking system is the main factor in maintaining sustainable economic growth.

The community needs to be more selective in accepting information, especially that circulating on social media without a clear source. Understanding the condition of national banking based on data and facts is a wise step to maintain financial stability. State-owned banks remain a safe and trusted choice for storing funds, with a transparent management system and supervised by a competent institution.

Maintaining trust in the national financial system is a shared responsibility. Economic stability is highly dependent on trust in banking institutions that have been proven to have the best performance in ASEAN.

Therefore, the public is advised not to be easily provoked by calls that have no basis in fact, in order to maintain financial security and support sustainable national economic growth. (*)

)* The author is a contributor to the Persada Institute