Bank Negara eyes 20% boost in trade finance volume by end-2013

Imports estimated to comprise 75% of volume.

State-owned Bank Negara Indonesia also aims to focusing on infrastructure projects and small and medium enterprises or SMEs. Growing infrastructure projects across India will be one of the drivers behind BNI’s loan growth.

BNI said it has giant projects under the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development that will boost equipment imports.

BNI, Indonesia’s fourth-largest bank by assets, wants to increase its trade finance volume by 15% to 20% to between US$25.6 billion and $26.8 billion by end-2013 from 2012.

In the first quarter of 2013, however, BNI recorded a 17% trade finance volume drop to US$4.9 billion due to lingering price negotiations between its clients and their counterparts. However, its revenue from the business increased 33% year-on-year.

BNI estimates imports will comprise 75% of its trade finance volume, followed by exports with the remaining 25%. It also expects its trade finance revenue to grow at a similar rate as its trade finance volume.