Taipei, June 2 (CNA) Indonesia's state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) will issue special student debit cards to Indonesian students in Taiwan to help minimize administrative fees and promote discounts within businesses in the Indonesian community, according to the bank.

The "Kartu Tanda Mahasiwa," translated as "student identification card," provides students with a BNI bank account and debit card services that operate through the Mastercard network, M. Zaky Faishal, BNI's representative in Taiwan, told CNA Monday.

"We plan to offer the service just like a student membership card for Indonesian students, while also helping save money in one place and providing easier mobile banking," he said.

BNI plans to start issuing the card on June 21, Faishal noted.

Indonesian Student Organization (PERPITA) President Vendy Andreas said users of the planned student debit card can save on costs such as lower administration fees when withdrawing money that their parents have remitted to them and also enjoy discounts and offers when making purchases at Indonesian shops.

In addition, the debit card also has a mobile banking feature for online payments, Andreas said.

"This card is very useful for Indonesian students currently studying or about to study in Taiwan," Andreas said. "If there is a problem they can simply go to BNI headquarters near Taipei Main Station to fix it."

Meanwhile, Fajar Nuradi, director of the Indonesian Citizens Protection and Social Cultural Department at the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) in Taipei said the planned debit card supports his office's efforts to enhance the database of Indonesian nationals in Taiwan.

"The debit card will definitely support the IETO's endeavors to enhancing the database system," Nuradi said.

IETO has been upgrading its database for the last two years to better protect and provide services to its citizens, Nuradi added.

"Having more than 12,000 students studying in Taiwan, it is one of IETO's biggest challenge to collect their basic data, separate from our migrant workers, seafarers and others."

BNI regularly holds financial education programs and has handed out masks during the COVID-19 pandemic to Indonesian migrant workers.