Bank Indonesia to launch national payment gateway

Bank Indonesia will soon issue a new policy in payment system — “National Payment Gateway” (NPG) — to prevent outflow of fund in the “e-commerce” transactions that will help redress the countrys domestic trade balance .

“Soon we will issue a policy of national payment gateway. All payment systems in the country from various providers will be connected in what we call inter-connectivity and inter-operability. Jut wait and see,” Deputy Governor of the central bank Perry Warjiyo said here on Friday .

Perry said with the NPG all domestic transactions would be wrapped up in the country without the use of foreign payment system service.

“This is important before we start cooperation with other countries that all transactions made in Indonesia could be settled in the country ,” Perry said.

With the NPG we could increase domestic trade balance in each transaction made in Indonesia without relying on financial service of agency, he added.

Perry said NPG also would support payment system in tourism industry, which the government actively develops as a potential foreign exchange earner.

Bank Indonesia encourages the government to develop and modernize the countrys tourism industry to grow to become a new economic growth driver amid the slump that hits the export and mining sector which have lost their most of role as the economic backbone.

Perry said the tourism industry could help accelerate the economic development in mid term.