Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Financial Institutions

  • Indonesian Banks Experience Continued Robust Growth in Quarter 1-2013

    The banking sector of Indonesia continues to post impressive double-digit growth amid the country's expanding economy and the people's increasing demand for consumer lending. A number of prominent Indonesian banks, which includes Bank Mandiri, Bank Central Asia, Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and Bank CIMB Niaga, have released strong Q1-2013 performance results. However, as the central bank's interest rate might be raised due to inflationary pressures, profits from lending can decline.

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  • Bank Mandiri and Holcim Indonesia Increase Dividend Payouts

    In the General Meeting of Shareholders it was decided that Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest financial institution by assets, will pay dividend of IDR 199.33 per share to its shareholders. Total dividend that will be paid amounts to IDR 4.65 trillion (US $479.4 million), which equals about 33 percent of the bank's net profit in 2012. Bank Mandiri, which is 60 percent owned by the Indonesian government, reported a 26.6 percent increase in net profit last year.

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  • Bank Central Asia Posts Limited Growth in Net Profit for 2012

    Bank Central Asia (BBCA), Indonesia’s largest lender by market value and second largest bank by assets, posted net profit of IDR 11.72 trillion (US $1.2 billion) in 2012, meaning an 8.3 percent increase from last year's result. This growth is limited compared to net profit of its main competitors Bank Mandiri that posted 26.6 percent growth in 2012, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) that posted a 22.8 percent growth in net profit.

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  • Bank Mandiri Posts 26.6 Percent Growth in Net Profit to IDR 15.5 Trillion

    Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest bank by assets, reported net profit of IDR 15.5 trillion (US $1.6 billion) over 2012, implying a 26.6 percent increase compared to 2011. Profit growth was fuelled by increase in net interest income, which increased to USD 27.5 trillion (US $2.85 billion), up from IDR 23.6 trillion in the previous year, and a growth in fee-based income of 2.4 percent. Total outstanding loans at the bank rose 23.7 percent to IDR 388.8 trillion (US $40.3 billion).

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  • House Passes New Law that Restricts Funding of Radical Movements

    Today, Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) passed a new law that restricts financial transactions that are meant for the funding of terrorist or radical organizations. People or institutions engaged in such transactions will face up to 15 years in prison and fines up to US $10.5 million. Previously, Indonesia did not have a law that prevented such transactions. This new law is regarded as a good step for the battle against terrorism.

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Latest Columns Financial Institutions

  • Rapid Development of Fintech Industry in Indonesia

    Rapid development of financial technology (fintech), which involves the delivery of financial services that use the latest technology and innovation to compete with the world's traditional financial methods, is also visible in Indonesia.

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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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  • Indonesia 8th Largest Shareholder Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

    Indonesia is the eight-largest shareholder within the newly established Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The Indonesian Finance Ministry announced earlier this week that the country will invest USD $672.1 million in the AIIB over the next five years. The AIIB is a new multilateral financial institution (initiated by China) that is to provide funds for infrastructure development projects in the Asia Pacific region. Initially, the AIIB has an authorized capital of USD $50 billion. This is expected to grow to USD $100 billion.

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  • Islamic Banking in Indonesia: Boosting Syariah Finance

    Syariah banking or Islamic finance is a large untapped potential in Indonesia, a country where about 13 percent of the total global Muslim population live. With nearly 90 percent of the 250 million people in Indonesia adhering to Islam, the market share of syariah (sharia) finance is remarkably low. At USD $24 billion, Islamic banks in Indonesia only held 4.9 percent of the country’s total banking assets in 2013, hence making Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) decide to launch a five-year roadmap in a move to boost syariah banking.

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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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  • Agreement Bank Indonesia and the Indonesian Financial Services Authority

    Today (18/10), the Governor of Bank Indonesia and the Chairman of the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK) signed an agreement concerning “cooperation and coordination to support task implementation at Bank Indonesia and OJK”. The agreement forms a basis for expediting and optimising coordination between both organisations in terms of their function, task and authority in light of the upcoming transfer of the banking regulation and supervision function from Bank Indonesia to OJK on 31 December 2013.

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  • Bank Indonesia Amends LTV/FTV Ratio to Safeguard Financial Stability

    Bank Indonesia amended its regulation concerning the Loan To Value (LTV) and Financing To Value (FTV) ratio for property credit and property-backed consumer loans. The LTV/FTV ratio is the ratio between the value of credit/financing that can be allocated by a bank and the corresponding value of collateral in the form of property when the loan is allocated. Property is real property that includes houses, vertical housing (apartments, flats, condominiums and penthouses), home offices and home stores.

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  • Top Ten Largest Companies in Indonesia by Market Capitalization

    Indonesia's largest company by market capitalization is still HM Sampoerna, the country's largest tobacco company. The company has been the top company in Indonesia since March 2013 when it replaced Astra International, Indonesia's largest diversified conglomerate, on the top spot. Astra had been Indonesia's largest company since 2010. Currently, the third-largest company in terms of market capitalization is Unilever Indonesia. Unilever, which is Indonesia’s largest consumer goods producer, jumped four places in the ranking since late 2012.

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  • Fitch Ratings: Major Indonesian Banks Resilient Against Market Turmoil

    According to global credit rating and research agency Fitch Ratings, Indonesia's major banks are robust against the rupiah currency slide due to their low unhedged foreign currency exposure, strong loss-absorption cushions and - in some cases - foreign ownership. The slowdown in the economy will weigh on these (rated) banks' operating environment, but is unlikely to damage their credit profiles to any great extent. Below we provide Fitch Ratings' report. This report can also be accessed on their website.

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  • Despite Growth Some Issues Block Indonesia's Financial and Property Stocks

    In its most recent report, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts Indonesia to continue its robust economic growth. Last year, the economy of Indonesia expanded 6.23 percent, and according to the ADB this figure will rise to 6.4 percent in 2013 and 6.6 percent in 2014. However, since the start of April there have been some issues that are causing Indonesia's stock indices to go down. Although believed to be only temporary, it is worth taking a closer look.

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