Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Banking Sector

  • Tax & Transparency: No More Banking Data Secrecy in Indonesia?

    After decades of the "banking information secrecy" culture in Indonesia, local banks now seem more willing to share clients' financial information to tax authorities (both local and foreign authorities). Earlier, Indonesian banks were reluctant to disclose this information as such transparency could mean banks would lose valuable clients. These "big clients" supply over half of banks' deposits. However, the situation has now changed due to the government's tax amnesty program.

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  • Non Performing Loans (NPLs) May Rise in Indonesia's Banking Sector

    Chances are big that the banking sector of Indonesia will see the non performing loan (NPL) ratio rise up to the range of 3.0 - 3.5 percent in 2017. Anton Gunawan, Chief Economist at state-controlled Bank Mandiri, says the rising NPL ratio is not so much caused by the lower quality of credit in Indonesia's banking system. The bigger problem is rising "special mention" loans, a loan grade that refers to assets that pose potential weaknesses that require close attention.

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  • Royal Bank of Scotland NV Ends Business Activities in Indonesia

    Indonesia's state news agency Antara reported that the Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the financial services sector, revoked the license of the local unit of the Royal Bank of Scotland NV (RBS NV), hence effectively ending the company's business in Indonesia. The revocation was conducted on request of the lender's headquarters in the Netherlands. This request was sent on 1 November 2016. The bank had a long history in Indonesia. RBS NV started operations in 1969 in Southeast Asia's largest economy under the name ABN AMRO BANK NV Indonesia.

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  • Thailand's Kasikornbank Interested to Acquire Bank in Indonesia

    Kasikornbank, the fourth-largest bank in Thailand, expressed its intention to acquire a bank in Indonesia. However, in line with the content of the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework, this plan cannot be carried out rapidly. Meanwhile, Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), which regulates and supervises the financial services sectors in Indonesia, only allows a foreign investor to acquire a majority-stake in small Indonesian banks (categorized under the BUKU 1 system) provided the foreign investor purchases two (small) banks and merge these into one entity.

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  • Credit Growth in Indonesia: Accelerating in October 2016

    Credit growth in Indonesia improved in October 2016 after touching a low in the preceding month. In October credit growth in Indonesia was recorded at a pace of 7.4 percent year-on-year (y/y), reaching IDR 4,246.6 trillion (approx. USD $314.6 billion), accelerating from a growth pace of 6.4 percent (y/y) in September. This development is caused by Bank Indonesia's lower interest rates although the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election may have curtailed demand for credit due to the higher degree of uncertainty about future US political and economic policies.

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  • OJK: Pace of Credit Growth in Indonesia Remains Weak

    The Financial Services Authority (OJK), the Indonesian government agency that regulates and supervises the country's financial services sector, expects credit growth in Indonesia to expand by a bleak 6 - 7 percent (y/y) in 2016, far below the initial growth forecast of 12 - 14 percent (y/y). OJK Chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said credit growth is slowing in Indonesia amid sluggish global and domestic economic growth as well as the strategy of companies to settle debts rather than seek credit for business expansion, while individual credit demand remains bleak as well.

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  • Credit Growth Indonesia Limited amid Weak Export & Investment

    Indonesian entrepreneurs say their credit demand is limited due to few expansion and investment plans ahead of the end of the year. Although the Indonesian economy is recovering - reflected by accelerated GDP growth figures in the first two quarters of the year - demand from abroad for Indonesian products remains weak, while domestic demand remains somewhat subdued as well (reflected by the nation's structurally weakening export and import figures over the past 15 months). As a result credit growth has been slowing accordingly.

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  • Credit Growth Indonesia: Banks Remain Selective in Disbursing New Credit

    Although Indonesia’s economic fundamentals and future economic outlook have improved in recent months, supported by government spending, recovering household consumption and rising commodity prices, Indonesian banks remain very conservative when it comes to disbursing new credit to companies. Recently, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) cut its projection for credit growth in the nation's banking sector this year from the range of 10 - 11 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 7 - 9 percent (y/y).

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  • Bank Rakyat Indonesia's BRIsat Satellite to Launch Next Week

    State-controlled financial institution Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) is scheduled to launch its satellite - called BRIsat - at 03:30 am local Jakarta time on 9 June 2016 in Kourou (French Guiana). BRI President Asmawi Syam told reporters that the launch is a milestone, not only for BRI but for the global banking industry as BRI will become the first bank to operate its own communications satellite. In Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, a satellite is more efficient than fiber optic. With the BRIsat the bank is able to reach (potential) customers in the remote areas.

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  • Indonesian Banks Reject Lower Net Interest Margin Plan

    Indonesian banks support the country's financial authorities' intention to cut lending rates to single digit margins (in a bid to boost credit growth and economic activity). However, these banks argue that lower interest rates should be the result of enhanced efficiency at banks, not by the Financial Services Authority (OJK)'s plan to cut banks' net interest margin (NIM). Earlier this year, the OJK - the government agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector - announced its plan to push state-owned banks' NIM down to the range of 3 to 4 percent.

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Latest Columns Banking Sector

  • Can the Ongoing International Banking Crisis Impact on the Financial Stability of Indonesia?

    There currently are some major concerns over an international banking crisis after three American banks collapsed in March 2023 (Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and Silvergate Bank; all catering largely to the tech sector), while it necessitated an acquisition by rival UBS to prevent Switzerland-based global investment bank Credit Suisse from collapsing. This brings back the haunting memories of the 2008 financial crisis.

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  • Life of an Expat in Indonesia: Some Experiences with Indonesian Banks

    If you move to Indonesia for a longer period – either for work or just for living – you will most likely want (or need) to open a bank account at a local bank (or a foreign bank that has a branch in Indonesia). After all, if you continue to use a foreign bank account, then it will involve relatively high bank charges each time you withdraw money from the automated teller machine (ATM) in Indonesia, or when you conduct an international transaction (online banking).

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  • Moody's & IMF Positive about Indonesia's Banking Sector

    Both Moody's Investors Service and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released positive reports on Indonesia's banking sector. While Moody's changed its outlook on Indonesia's banking sector from stable to positive, the IMF said Indonesia's banking system is strong enough to cope with relatively slow economic growth and a rise in bad loans.

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  • Low Credit Growth in Indonesia, but Micro Credit Program (KUR) on Course

    Although generally credit growth in Indonesia has been weak so far this year, disbursement of micro credit (in Indonesian: Kredit Usaha Rakyat, or KUR) has been solid in the first eight months of the year. KUR is a government-sponsored subsidy offered to the country’s smallest entrepreneurs (for example street food vendors). Through KUR, Indonesia’s commercial banks can provide working capital at lower interest rates (compared to most other micro loans). This is made possible by an insurance plan involving state-owned insurance firms Perum Jamkrindo and Askrindo.

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  • Credit Growth Bank Mandiri to Improve after Indonesia's Rate Cut

    Bank Indonesia's decision to cut Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) gradually from 7.50 percent at the year-start to 6.75 percent in March should lead to rising credit growth in Indonesia as borrowing costs have become less expensive. Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest financial institution by assets, should see its financial performance improve due to the looser monetary policy. For Trimegah Securities the new context was reason to revise its forecast for net profit and net interest income of Bank Mandiri, a state-controlled entity that is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (the central government owns a 60 percent stake).

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  • Banking Sector Indonesia: OJK Needs More People to Combat Fraud

    Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the central government's agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector, needs to hire hundreds of new staff in order to safeguard monitoring of the nation's banking sector and to enhance its early warning system in order to detect possible corruption cases. As up to 350 OJK workers are expected to return to the central bank per 1 January 2017, good monitoring of the banking sector is in jeopardy.

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  • Indonesia's Conventional Banks to Spin Off Islamic Units by 2024

    Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the nation's financial services sector, is preparing a new regulation that requires conventional financial institutions in Indonesia to spin off their Islamic financial units before 17 October 2024. Islamic finance or Islamic banking is a type of banking that is in accordance to the principles of sharia (Islamic law). Based on the regulation, those financial institutions that generate at least 50 percent of their capital through Islamic finance have to comply with the new rule.

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  • S&P: Indonesia's Banking Industry Stable but Profitability May Weaken

    New York-based financial services firm Standard & Poor's stated that Indonesia's banking industry will feel the negative impact of Indonesia's sluggish economic growth in combination with persistently low commodity prices next year. This combination may weaken profitability of the nation's banking industry. S&P puts Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 at 5 percent (y/y), below the International Monetary Fund's and World Bank's forecast as well as the central government's target, all at 5.3 percent (y/y).

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  • Bank Central Asia (BCA) to See Slower Credit Growth than State Banks

    Bank Central Asia (BCA), one of the leading commercial banks in Indonesia, is estimated to continue posting growing net profit and rising credit growth in the years ahead despite the persistently sluggish domestic economy. However, contrary to the state-controlled banks - such as Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) - BCA will most likely not see double-digit credit growth in the near future as BCA's customers mostly originate from the private sector. The state-controlled banks, on the other hand, have the advantage of being involved in the government's push for infrastructure development and government spending.

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  • Banking Sector of Indonesia Shining Brightly but Some Difficulties Ahead

    The banking sector remains a key sector for growth of Indonesia's financial industry as well as the country's general economic expansion as the sector posted the highest profits worldwide. Prasetiantoko Augustine, economist at Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), said that profitability in Indonesia's banking sector is not only highest in the ASEAN and Southeast Asian region but also worldwide. Bank Rakyat Indonesia posted the highest profit of Indonesian banks in 2013 (IDR 21 trillion), followed by Bank Mandiri (IDR 18 trillion) and BCA (IDR 14 trillion).

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