On 19th August 2016, Bank
Indonesia (BI) strengthened its monetary operations (MO) framework
by implementing a new reference rate, namely the BI 7-Day Reverse
Repo Rate (BI7DRR). The BI7DRR instrument was a new reference rate
that had a stronger relationship with money market rates, was also
transactional and nurtured financial market deepening, particularly
the use of repo instruments.
The strengthening measure was typical of
various central banks and recognised as an international best
practice in terms of implementing monetary operations.
Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia regularly refines its MO framework to
strengthen policy effectiveness in achieving the predetermined
inflation target. The BI7DRR instrument was deployed as the
new policy rate because of its ability to influence the money
market, banking industry and real sector quickly.
As expected, applying the BI7DRR
instrument as the new policy rate had three major impacts as
follows:
-
Strengthening the monetary policy
signal with the BI7DRR as the main reference in the financial
markets.
-
Increasing monetary policy
transmission through its impact on interest rate movements in the
money market and banking industry.
-
Deepening financial markets,
particularly the transactions and forming interbank rate structures
for tenors of 3-12 months. ​
​​It should be noted that, commencing 21st
December 2023, Bank Indonesia changed the name of its policy rate to
the BI-Rate, replacing the BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate (BI7DRR), to
strengthen monetary policy communication. The new name does
not change the meaning or objectives of the BI-Rate as the monetary
policy stance of Bank Indonesia, with operationalisation still
referring to Bank Indonesia reverse repo transactions with a tenor
of 7 (seven) days. ​​