Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Bank Indonesia’s Bali representative office said it will investigate 68 money changers suspected illegal or operating without a license in Bali, following reports filed by residents.
Henry Nosih Saturwa, head of the division at the central bank’s Bali office, said the regulator will work with the Bali Regional Police to pursue the alleged illegal operators.
“Licensed money changers play a crucial role in supporting the tourism sector,” Henry told reporters on Monday (September 29), as reported by Antara.
The 68 suspected illegal money changers in Bali were flagged through BI Patrol, a public reporting channel. After receiving the complaints, Bank Indonesia said it will coordinate with local police to follow up.
As of the first quarter of 2025, official data showed Bali had 137 headquarters and 413 branch offices of licensed non-bank money changers. Total foreign exchange transactions through these outlets reached 6.18 trillion rupiah ($379 million) during the period, with 3.12 trillion in sales and 3.05 trillion in purchases.
Henry said licensed operators are critical to protecting tourists from fraud, money laundering, and counterfeit currency. He stressed the need for coordination between authorities and businesses to maintain order in the island’s currency exchange market.
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Signs of a licensed operator include displaying the official Bank Indonesia logo for authorized money changers, presenting a business license certificate issued by BI, and clearly listing the registered company name.
Staff must also carry proper identification, and customers are required to present IDs such as a passport or national ID card as part of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing protocols.
Bank Indonesia has also launched www.moneychangerbali.com, which lists licensed money changers across Bali to help residents and international tourists. The public can report suspected illegal operators via BI Patrol.
(Raidi/Agung)
