Erick Thohir On Himbara's Profits Skyrocketed: Thanks To Transformation And Digitization

SOE Minister Erick Thohir (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir appreciated the good performance of state-owned banks or the state bank association (Himbara) during the first semester of 2022.

Erick said that the rapid net profit of state-owned banks is proof of the transformation that has been carried out to produce achievements.

In the midst of global economic challenges, Erick said that the four state banks showed impressive performance.

This can be seen from the net profit achievement of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BRI which touched IDR 24.88 trillion during the first semester of 2022 or grew 98.38 percent on an annual basis.

Then there is Bank Mandiri with a surge in net profit of up to 61.7 percent YoY or IDR 20.2 trillion in the first semester of 2022 and BTN which in the first five months managed to record a profit of IDR 1.06 trillion, up 49.19 percent YoY from IDR 716.44 billion.

Then BNI rose 75 percent from IDR 5 trillion to IDR 8.8 trillion in the first semester of 2022.

Erick explained that the transformation, both from business processes to digitalization, made the way SOE banking work more efficiently.

This can be seen from the decrease in operating costs, maintained fund expenses, and credit quality that continues to improve.

"Thank God, thanks to transformation and digitalization, state-owned banks can work more effectively and efficiently with the results that we can witness together today", he said in Jakarta, Saturday, July 30.

Furthermore, Erick said, Himbara's achievements also departed from the commitment to refocusing the business by having a different segmentation.

Whereas BRI is a people's bank that focuses on financing for MSMEs and rural communities. Meanwhile, Bank Mandiri is working on the corporate and MSME sectors in urban areas.

Meanwhile, BTN remains in its core business in the housing sector.

Meanwhile, BNI became an international bank with segmentation for the diaspora, migrant workers, and the export sector.

In addition, Erick also asked Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) to be the home for the development of the Indonesian halal industry ecosystem.

"So there are no more stories between state-owned banks fighting over customers, this is no longer the time, this is a time for collaboration, no longer walking alone", said Erick.

Erick assessed that performance growth would not only have a positive impact on state-owned banks but also have a broad impact on the nation and society.

With increased profits, the contribution of state-owned banks to the state, whether in the form of taxes, dividends, or profit sharing, will also increase.

Therefore, Erick hopes that the positive performance trend of state-owned banks can be maintained until the end of the year.

"If in the 2021 financial year, the state receives dividend payments of IDR 24.56 trillion from state-owned banks, we are optimistic that the dividend for 2022 will be much higher. With this income, the government will be even more massive in channeling it to popular programs to accelerate national economic recovery", said Erick.

The former President of Inter Milan himself assigned Himbara to focus on assisting the government in increasing access to financing for the MSME sector.

Compared to neighboring countries, he said, the proportion of MSME financing, which is 20 percent, still lags behind Malaysia and Thailand, which have reached 50 percent.

"Himbara is the government's main focus in boosting the increase in financing for MSMEs. Until now, the contribution of Himbara KUR to the national KUR has reached IDR 260 trillion of the total KUR of IDR 282 trillion. That is, 92.4 percent came from Himbara, this is what we will continue to do. push", said Erick.