THE CASHLESS JAKARTA, TODAY
This late Thursday, I was on my way home, when I passed by a long queue of GoCar (GoJek) in front of the Plaza Senayan.
The other day I remember, I had to remind my driver to top up “e-money” for parking fare, and toll payment.
Friday night, Bestia, my youngest daughter asked me whether I wanted to join her ordering GoFood. She seems to be excited for having a numerous GoJek “Promo” and eager to use up her GoPay balance. GoPay Cash-backs or whatever they call it has apparently become a periodical promotional effort by this Unicorn. I am quite sure, the other 4 Unicorns are doing the same campaign effort in order to increase their transactional volume: Cashback, Discount, etc.
Last Sunday, I joined my buddies for a fun walk in Senayan, and had my driver parked our car in GBK (Gelora Bung Karno), we too had to pay the parking fare using the e-money. I believe the Mandiri e-money or BCA Flash, or Tap Cash BNI are being used in all public facilities which include the busway (Transjakarta), and the newly mega project in the city MRT --- estimated to be in full operation starting in 2nd week of March.
Going “Cashless” has indeed become part of our lifestyle living in Jakarta. Cash payment has shrunk significantly in settling for our daily expenses. We (Indonesian) were best known and have gotten used to the old saying “Cash is King”, had indeed shared our bite of surprise when e-money (a card, and now a phone app) took the existence of our fresh-n-crisp Rp. 100,000 bill in our wallet.
Going cashless has transformed our way to transact and struck a deal in so many ways. Being a part of this cashless society helps us become transparent and responsible financially --- reducing financial misconduct, increase the city’s revenue and monitor taxes, reducing volume of money counterfeit (fake rupiahs), minimizing germs or bacterial spread through exchanging money bills, and other countless positive sides of going cashless. While it affects all aspects in our daily lives, going cashless perhaps would help us do business transparently. It might just help us eradicate corruption.
Jakarta has indeed transformed into one of the world’s cashless cities, and now we are officially become a cashless society. Congrats!
