65 Years Of BCA, Becomes The Largest Private Bank Thanks To The Role Of Conglomerates Sudono Salim, Anthony Salim, To The Hartono Brothers

Bank BCA/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) has carved out 65 years of business journey in the Indonesian financial industry. Thanks to the roles of Sundono Salim, Anthony Salim and the Hartono brothers, BCA has succeeded in becoming the bank with the largest market capitalization today. BCA still occupies the same position with Rp976 trillion. President Director of BCA Jahja Setiaatmadja said that after a span of 65 years of providing experience and honing maturity, BCA is now one of the largest private banks in Indonesia. the application of leading-edge technology. The trust of loyal customers is BCA's motivation to be more diligent in their work," he said, quoted from BCA's official website, Sunday, February 27.

BCA's business focus is on transactions as well as providing credit facilities and financial solutions for various segments such as corporate, commercial, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and consumers. At the end of 2021, BCA was recorded to serve 29 million customer accounts. Not only that, at the end of last year BCA was also recorded to process around 48 million transactions every day, supported by 1,242 branch offices, 18,034 ATMs, as well as internet and mobile banking services, contact centers Halo BCA which can also be accessed 24 hours. BCA's brilliant performance was also supported by a number of subsidiaries that focus on vehicle financing, sharia banking, securities, general and life insurance, digital banking, remittances, and venture capital. This includes the support of more than 25,000 employees. BCA has a vision to become the bank of choice for the community, which plays an important role as an important pillar of the Indonesian economy. With this vision, BCA is also consistent in providing comfort and security to customers for the better in order to create a holistic financial services ecosystem. However, the various achievements obtained by BCA to reach its 65 years of journey cannot be separated from the influence of the hands of the conglomerates that formed it. Based on Kantar's report, BCA is included in the list of 15 banks with the largest brand value in the world. The company founded by Sudono Salim has a brand value of 18.6 billion US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 267.4 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of Rp. ) in 2021. BCA is also considered a safe place for consumers to save money in situations that are definitely limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because it is considered to have environmental support and strong connections with the government. The history of the establishment of BCA The history of the establishment of Bank BCA began on February 21, 1957. The bank with the largest market capitalization on the Indonesia Stock Exchange was founded from scratch by conglomerates Liem Sioe Liong or Sudono Salim. However, the forerunner of BCA was formed in 1955 which was the NV of the Trade and Industry Company of Semarang Knitting Factory. After operating for two years, the NV of the Trade and Industry Company changed its name and business to banking under the name NV Bank Central Asia. After changing the name, Sudono Salim moved his previous head office in Semarang to Asemka, Jakarta in 1957. Then, on September 2, 1975 the name of NV Bank Central Asia was permanently changed to PT Bank Central Asia or now known as BCA. In the same year, Sudono Salim's colleague, Li Wen Cheng or who is familiarly called Mochtar Riady, started to enter BCA. Mochtar joined BCA when the bank's condition was not too good. Since joining BCA, Mochtar has started to improve the working system at the bank. One of them is by tidying up bank files. In his autobiography Human Ideas (2015), he said that archives are the most basic basis in managing banking. In 1990, after more than a decade of developing the banking business, Mochtar decided to sell his BCA shares. In the book Prominent Indonesia Chinese: Biographical Sketches (4th Edition), by Leo Suryadinata, it is stated that Mochtar exchanged his BCA shares with Lippo Group shares to Sudono Salim.

As a result, since 1990 Sudono Salim has become the largest shareholder of BCA and Mochtar Riady resigned from the bank in 1991. Now, Mochtar is better known as the founder and chairman of the Lippo Group. and beverages through the Indofood brand, there are also businesses selling cars, cement, and supermarkets. Now, all the businesses that are included in the Salim Group are inherited by Anthony Salim, the third son of Sudono Salim. In 1998, the bank led by Sudono Salim experienced a slump due to the monetary crisis. The financial crisis that occurred at that time, opened the success of Michael Bambang Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono, also known as the Hartono brothers. They decided to take BCA from the Salim family. Through a long process the Hartono brothers controlled BCA through PT Dwimuria Investama Andalan with 54.94 percent ownership or 67.72 billion shares. Now, BCA is fully owned by Michael Bambang Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono. It was this bank that provided the Hartono brothers with large coffers.