The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Better wrap up any pending deals and business with banks by Friday, with most businesses and the markets taking the week off for the Idul Fitri holiday.
Although major banks such as Bank Mandiri and Bank Central Asia (BCA) will still open several of their branches and have prepared their automatic teller machines (ATMs), avoid any transactions above Rp 25 million (US$2,700), as the clearing system for banks will only operate fully by Friday next week.
The central bank has officially announced it will suspend its real-time clearing system between Oct. 23 and 24, from Monday to Wednesday, resuming limited operations the following Thursday.
Trading at both the Jakarta Stock Exchange and the Surabaya Stock Exchange, meanwhile, will be suspended starting Oct. 23 and will resume on Oct. 30.
The government has announced Oct. 26 and 27 as national leave days, to mark the Idul Fitri celebration, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan.
Most banks will follow Bank Indonesia's (BI) schedule, with some still open Monday, but will only be able to serve large transactions through their ordinary clearing system.
Mandiri spokesperson Mansyur Nasution said the bank will still open 292 of its total 909 branch offices Monday, Thursday and Friday next week.
It has also prepared a total Rp 8 trillion in additional cash for all of its ATMs, he added.
BCA will close all of its branch offices Monday through Wednesday, consumer banking manager Stephen Liestyo said, and resume services at several branches by Thursday.
BI Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah had said the central bank has prepared Rp 19 trillion in additional cash, enough for the whole country's needs during the holiday.
BI, along with eight financial companies, has also prepared outlets where people can get small change, located at major train and bus stations throughout the country, in anticipation of people's need to give alms during Idul Fitri.
