VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A few days before the celebration of Idul Fitri 1440 Hijriah, a lot of remittance of Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) who work in some countries is sent to some regions throughout Indonesia, such as Sukabumi, West Java. Money transfer service of Sukabumi Post Office reported that there is an increase of 15 percent this Ramadhan month compared to the normal months. The amount of remittance from abroad reaches around Rp 40 to 50 billion per month through the post office. The amount of the migrant workers' remittance is huge, because in addition to the Post Office, several banks can receive the remittance service. In addition, many Indonesian migrant workers send money to their families through their colleagues who come back to Indonesia in a bid to enjoy ‘Lebaran’. Most of the remittance comes from the Middle East countries, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Cianjur Post Office is busy receiving the TKI’s remittance. Through the Cianjur post office for this year's Ramadhan, the amount reaches Rp97 billion. Head of the Cianjur Post Office, Deni Ahmad Zaenudin stated that the remittance in Ramadhan this year is likely to increase compared to last year's Ramadan which reached Rp.113 billion. The remittance comes from Middle East countries and Southeast Asian countries in general.

Other regions in the border point such as Nunukan in North Kalimantan also use the services of the Post Office to receive remittance from abroad. The fact is that from year to year, the number of Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) who go abroad to work is getting bigger. But if you look at the high rate of remittance through post office services, there are probably not many migrant workers who use banking services. Even though the migrant workers may have accounts at banks, their families in the villages do not necessarily have them.

Government’s data in 2017 showed that the level of financial inclusion in Indonesia has only reached 63 percent. This means that every hundred Indonesian citizens, only 63 have an account at the bank. If the family in the village has a bank account, sending money can be easier and faster. They can also enjoy holidays during Lebaran without worrying about waiting a little longer.