The Financial Industry Must Minimize Interactions Between People To Prevent COVID-19

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The area of the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19 in Indonesia is increasingly widespread. In order to minimize the risk of increasing the number of positive COVID-19 patients, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) has asked all institutions in the financial services industry to make operational adjustments or minimize interactions between people without disrupting services.

Deputy Commissioner for Public Relations and Logistics OJK, Anto Prabowo said, it is necessary to take simultaneous action by government agencies, state institutions including OJK and other parties regarding policies to control COVID-19 to be effective.

"Regulations regarding alternatives to work from home are left to the respective financial service institutions, self regulatory organizations (SRO) in the capital market, and professional supporting institutions in the financial services industry," he said, in a statement quoted on Tuesday, March 17.

Anto said, OJK also appealed to improve cleanliness in the work environment and public service facilities such as ATMs, bank counters and so on.

In addition, continued Anto, he is advised to postpone all trips out of town and / or abroad, especially to places where the spread of COVID-19 has been identified according to the latest data and information from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Do not carry out activities that gather a number of people both internally and / or externally in the form of socialization, meetings and other events. Interactions are presumably carried out through the use of information technology facilities," he explained.

Bank Mandiri Urges Customers to Make Online Transactions

Bank Mandiri Corporate Secretary Rully Setiawan said that Bank Mandiri officially transferred the operations of the Jakarta branch office Kyai Tapa starting Monday, March 16 to the branch of Bank Mandiri Jakarta S. Parman. The goal, as a preventive action and protection for customers and employees.

Rully said that this transfer was also because there was an employee who needed further examination regarding the COVID-19 virus.

"The health of employees and customers is our priority. So we are doing this as a preventive step. We submit further information to the Ministry of Health as the agency authorized to convey information related to COVID-19," said Rully.

Regarding efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, said Rully, his party urged customers to use the latest Mandiri Online application which can serve various needs of customers' financial transactions.

According to Rully, with Bank Mandiri's digital transformation, now the wider community can also open a savings account anywhere, without having to come to the bank office or meet with banking staff at Bank Mandiri.

"All the needs for opening savings can be done by video call," he explained.

In addition, said Rully, customers can also use 24-hour ATM services. Mandiri currently has 18,291 ATM units connected to the ATM Link network, ATM Bersama, Prima san Visa / Plus ATMs, EDC and other e-banking networks.

"For companies, financial transactions can also be carried out using Mandiri Cash Management services which can be done through the work location of each company," he said.