A customer scans the QRIS payment system code when shopping at a small-sized fruit vendor in Boyolali, Central Java on Dec. 2, 2024. (Antara Photo/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)

JakartaGlobe-Oct 30

Indonesia’s digital economy has become one of the fastest-growing in the world, thanks to the widespread adoption of the QR-based payment system QRIS, according to Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo.

Speaking at the Indonesia Digital Economy Festival in Jakarta on Thursday, Perry said that since QRIS was introduced in 2019, digital payments have helped accelerate financial inclusion and strengthen national economic growth. “Indonesia has become one of the fastest-growing digital economies and digital payment systems in the world,” Perry said. He explained that Indonesia’s digital payment roadmap began by integrating multiple payment channels into a single national standard to simplify transactions for consumers and businesses alike. “We remember August 17, 2019, when we unified all QR systems under one standard — QR Indonesia Standard, or QRIS. Today, QRIS symbolizes the sovereignty of Indonesia’s payment system,” he said.

Perry also mentioned BI-FAST, another Bank Indonesia initiative that enables real-time, low-cost digital transactions. With a transaction fee of just Rp 2,500 ($0.25–0.30) — and free for amounts under Rp500,000 — BI-FAST is among the most efficient payment systems in the world, he added. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto noted that Indonesia’s digital economy is projected to reach $400 billion by 2030, up from $90 billion in 2024, driven largely by digital payments and e-commerce adoption. “The digital economy has become one of the main engines of national growth. Indonesia is now among Asia’s largest digital markets,” Airlangga said. He added that QRIS usage continues to expand rapidly, with 56 million merchants, 93 percent of whom are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — a sign that digitalization is growing organically from the grassroots. Despite its strong momentum, Airlangga said key challenges remain, including strengthening payment security, enhancing digital literacy, and building public trust to ensure sustainable financial innovation. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/tech/indonesias-digital-economy-among-worlds-fastest-thanks-to-qris