Residents Support Conventional Banks to Re-Operate in Aceh

Banda Aceh, Armfalcon.com —

The majority of society aceh support the plan of the local government and DPRD to revise qanun number 11/2018 concerning Islamic Financial Institutions (LKS), and allow conventional banks to operate in the region again.

This is because the public views Islamic banks that are currently operating as yet not providing maximum service.

“I agree, because the services provided at Islamic banks are currently not as complete as those at conventional banks. So we really have no other choice, there should be conventional banks operating in Aceh,” said a resident of Banda Aceh named Dedi Saputra to Armfalcon.com.com, Monday (22/5).

Dedi believes that the presence of conventional banks will make it easier for the public to make transactions and be able to sort out banks according to their individual needs.

“So we don’t have to match just one or two banks. I’m sure many Acehnese also agree with the operation of conventional banks,” he said.

Apart from Dedi, another resident who works as a freelancer in Aceh, Fauzan, also supports the revision of the qanun.

According to him, so far Islamic banks in Aceh have experienced many problems regarding transactions that are detrimental to the customers themselves.

In fact, he even managed to open conventional bank accounts all the way to Medan, North Sumatra, just to be able to receive wages from the projects he was working on. This is because Islamic banks at that time did not yet have a supporting transaction system.

“If from there (the vendor) wants a conventional bank, can’t we have to go to Medan again? open a new account. It’s tiring when we are in Aceh,” he said.

In fact, he often received complaints from foreign tourists who wanted to withdraw money in cash while in Aceh, because Islamic banks in Aceh at that time could not service cash withdrawals from ATM cards belonging to foreign banks.

Meanwhile, another Acehnese named Khairul Razi disagrees if only the BSI service error problem was used as an excuse to bring back conventional banks in Aceh.

Supposedly, Islamic banks in Aceh at this time must be strengthened both in terms of services and systems because Aceh is already committed to running the Islamic banking system according to the results of the agreement.

“This is not only a matter of usury and so on, but how are we consistent in maintaining areas that adhere to Islamic law, including in their banking system. For me, there is no need for (conventional banks), just strengthen the existing banks,” he said Khairul.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Aceh National Oil and Gas Entrepreneurs Association (Hiswana Migas) Nahrawi Noerdin welcomed the Aceh Government’s plan to allow conventional banks to operate.

According to him, the policy was considered appropriate to anticipate the possibility of an error occurring at Bank BSI which could disrupt the bank’s service system for entrepreneurs in Aceh.

“We in Hiswana are very supportive because this is important for the wheels of the economy in Aceh,” said Nahrawi.

[Gambas:Video CNN]

(dra/dzu)