Indonesia's central bank is pushing Indonesians to live in a cashless economy by introducing a new program that would promote the technology. Indonesia has already implemented several electronic payment policies but there are still challenges ahead. CGTN's Silkina Ahluwalia has more from Jakarta.  

In an effort to enhance its digital economy growth, Indonesia is now encouraging its citizens to move towards a cashless society. As a developing nation, Indonesia still lacks in providing cashless payment methods, but in recent years with the rise of ride-hailing apps and e-ticketing systems, the country has learned to embrace the new system. Now, it's backed by Bank Indonesia, who launched a national campaign to support and promote the technology.

RYAN KIRYANTO, CORPORATE SECRETARY BANK NEGARA INDONESIA "Many people nowadays, especially the young generation, are looking for ways to make transactions convenient, easy and quick. Whether we like it or not, we are heading towards that direction and we have to learn to adapt. For many, cash is now becoming inefficient."

Ryan says as an archipelago, Indonesia has the opportunity to develop this system further and make the lives of those in smaller cities even easier.

SILKINA AHLUWALIA JAKARTA, INDONESIA "Credit card ownership in Indonesia is not very common. Many people here still prefer to use cash to meet their daily transactional needs. But the central bank has recorded an increase of more than 50 percent in the past year of debit and credit card use as well as e-money transactions."

That increase proves that the country is getting used to electronic payments. The value of e-money across Indonesia reached nearly 80 million US dollars in 2017.

EKO LISTIYANTO ECONOMIC ANALYST "It's important for the government to encourage and push Indonesians to start using cashless transactions. But they should work to make the transactions more transparent and accountable. It will be a challenge at first but it is good for the country in the long-term."

Although the effort to promote a cashless economy is still a challenge, Indonesia is already on its way to make payments a smoother experience for everyone. Silkina Ahluwalia, CGTN, Jakarta.