Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has officially launched the Gold Bank services by Pegadaian at The Gade Tower in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. This initiative aims to strengthen Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create new job opportunities.

"We hope this will increase our GDP by adding Rp245 trillion," President Prabowo stated. He noted that Indonesia’s gold production has grown from 100 tons to 160 tons annually. According to him, this is the right time to improve the service ecosystem to maximize the country's gold reserves.

BRI's President Director, Sunarso, explained two interconnected reasons why the Gold Bank could contribute an additional Rp245 trillion to the GDP.

Firstly, the Gold Bank seeks to engage the public by integrating 1,800 tons of privately owned gold, which currently sits outside the formal financial system. Monetizing this gold would channel it into the country’s development liquidity. "This can accelerate economic growth by adding development liquidity from gold monetization," Sunarso said during a press conference on February 26, 2025.

Secondly, the Gold Bank will enable Indonesia to process its gold reserves into derivative products, increasing their value domestically. This would reduce the need for large-scale gold imports since the reserves kept in the Gold Bank could support local demand.

Sunarso estimated that this initiative could create 1.8 million new jobs and boost GDP by Rp245 trillion.

As the parent company of the ultra-micro holding group, which includes Pegadaian and PNM, BRI supports transactions within the Gold Bank ecosystem, both directly and through its subsidiary, Pegadaian.

"Does it go directly through BRI? Some transactions do, facilitated through BRImo. Others go through Pegadaian, which has growth potential and will support BRI’s growth," Sunarso explained.

BRI has also introduced the Gold Investment feature on its super app, BRImo, allowing users to invest in gold starting from Rp10,000. Since its launch in February 2024, the feature recorded transaction volumes reaching Rp279.8 billion by December 2024.