Erick Thohir Has Two BSI Stock Divestment Options, Anything?

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir revealed that there are two options for divesting shares of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk at PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk.

Erick explained that one of the options was taken by attaching it to a gold savings account.

"There are two options, one is looking for a strategic partner. Second, we link it with gold savings," he said when met in the Central Jakarta area, written Tuesday, February 27.

He added that so far there has been no option to release BRI and BNI ownership shares in BSI to the public.

Erick admitted that he is currently ensuring that BSI can find strategic partners.

With strategic partners, he continued, it will be able to increase BSI's competitiveness and be able to be included in the list of the 10 largest Islamic banks in the world.

"Not yet, we want to make sure that BSI has a staregis partner so that the current number 11 is the top ten in the world. But yesterday there was a savings offer, the gold savings program is good, and not all banks are allowed," he said.

"Why can't BSI synergize with Pegadaian, how come we haven't discussed it yet. So it's still an option. If it's an internal gold savings. Maybe whether BRI has increased the share portion, what Pegadaian is, not yet, I haven't got there yet," he continued.

According to Erick, the decision to divest BRI and BNI shares at BSI is still waiting for further meetings.

He said, many strategic partners from outside were interested in entering.

"Depending on BRI having an interesting palm game, namely value creation, yes, why not. Right at the end, partnerships must have value creation. If it's just a partner, there's nothing wrong with it, so what to do," he explained.

Previously, the Special Staff (Stafsus) of the Minister of SOEs Arya Sinulingga had also revealed the latest developments regarding the divestment of shares of PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI) owned by PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI) and PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BNI).

Arya said there are two options that his party is currently considering.

First, releasing shares to strategic investors. Second, releasing them to the public.

"Yes (strategic investors or to the public). Whether later to the public or where, it's up to that," Arya said when met in the Central Jakarta area, quoted Thursday, February 22.

Furthermore, Arya said, the release of BSI shares is one of the strategic SOE projects that needs to be completed.

It is targeted that the process can be completed before the new government change in October 2024.

"Hopefully it will be finished before October," he explained.