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    7Aug, 2018
    Plans for OCBC digital bank in Indonesia amid strong Q2 results

    OCBC Bank is pursuing the idea of a “digital bank” in Indonesia, said its chief executive officer Samuel Tsien yesterday at its results briefing, as Singapore’s second-largest bank looks to join its peers in launching banking for mobile-savvy customers in this region.

    The bank said it was unable to share more details at this early stage, though it is likely that this digital bank will not be a standalone unit, which is the model used by DBS Bank.

    OCBC yesterday reported a net profit of $1.21 billion for the second quarter, up 16 per cent, even as Mr Tsien warned that the operating environment was becoming “increasingly challenging and we are watchful of the severe implications to the global economy and financial markets from the escalating trade and political tensions”.

    photo: The Strait Times

    The higher earnings were driven by the strong performance across each of its banking, wealth management and insurance businesses.

    Strong loan growth and higher net interest margin (NIM) drove second-quarter net interest income to a new high of $1.45 billion, which was 8 per cent above the $1.35 billion a year ago.

    Average customer loans grew 11 per cent, driven by broad-based growth across most industries and geographical segments.

    (read more: The Strait Times)

    1Aug, 2018
    Credit infrastructure of state-owned banks in Indonesia skyrocketed
    infrastructure – illustration. Photo by pxhere

    Infrastructure projects become the backbone of state-owned banks. In the first half of 2018, infrastructure loans grew over 20% year on year (yoy).

    One of the aggressive banks that channeled infrastructure loans is Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). Loans of Rp 107.96 trillion in the second quarter of 2018 flowed into infrastructure projects. This figure rose 22.98% from Rp 87.78 trillion in the same quarter.

    The toll road and construction sectors, as well as power plants, receive the largest credit loans of 30 percent of total infrastructure credits. The remainder, loans poured for transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, oil and gas.

    Herry Sidharta, Vice President Director of Bank BNI, said that the company still relies on the electricity, toll road and construction sectors, as well as transportation and telecommunications for infrastructure credit distribution in the second semester. To boost the infrastructure credit in 2018, the BBNI-coded bank selects projects from government initiatives included in strategic projects as well as the private sector with measurable risk prospects.

    Not to be outdone, Bank Mandiri’s infrastructure loan disbursement reached Rp 165.8 trillion, or grew 24.1% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period the previous year. The transportation sector is the largest recipient of credit with a value of Rp 39.3 trillion.

    Then electricity sector Rp 36.8 trillion, and oil and gas and renewable energy Rp 24.1 trillion. Dikdik Yustandi, Senior Executive Vice President of Bank Mandiri, said that infrastructure is the main pillar of corporate credit. The proof is that corporate loans grew 23.2 percent to Rp 300.1 trillion until June 2018. Bank Mandiri predicts that corporate loans will grow 15 percent by the end of the year.

    Most recently, Bank Mandiri provided a syndicated loan of Rp 2.10 trillion for the construction of the Jakarta-Cikampek II toll road segment elevated along 38.6 km.

    Taswin Zakaria, President Director of Maybank Indonesia, said that the need for substantial infrastructure funding can not be fully owned by state-owned banks. That’s where private banks play a role. “Currently more than 20% of our corporate loan portfolio is infrastructure credit,” said Taswin.

    As for Jan Hendra, Corporate Secretary of Bank Central Asia (BCA) said that infrastructure loans are still dominated by toll roads and electricity.

    (source: Kontan)