JAYAPURA – The Papua Provincial Government recognizes the need for innovative financial services in the Skouw border area to enhance cross-border trade between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Acting Governor of Papua, Ramses Limbong, noted that economic transactions in Skouw still depend heavily on manual currency exchanges. Papua New Guinean citizens must unofficially trade kina for rupiah before making purchases. “If a direct payment method is available here, it would be much more efficient and secure. We hope that an official currency exchange system can be facilitated,” said Ramses.

He added that discussions have occurred with Bank Indonesia and national banks to introduce border-friendly financial services, such as ATMs or digital systems capable of processing dual-currency transactions. “Rupiah will remain the official currency in Indonesia, but if PNG citizens can use cards or a specific system, they won’t have to go through the hassle of exchanging cash,” he added.

Skouw is a strategic cross-border trade point in eastern Indonesia, with weekly buying and selling activities driven by visitors from Papua New Guinea. Ramses emphasized that collaboration between financial institutions is critical to building a transaction system that is secure, efficient, and integrated. Skouw is expected to become a model of a modern border economy in the future. ***