Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Deputy Director of Retail Banking of Bank Muamalat Ari Purnomo said Bank Muamalat units in Sulawesi Maluku and Papua has grown 30 percent annually.

"We grow 30 percent year on year (yoy) both in financing and funding," Ari Purnomo said after a meeting with South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo here on Tuesday.

He said the growth is quite promising and the trend is expected to continue especially in retail segment, which is the focus in the business of the countrys first Islamic bank.

Currently the bank holds around Rp2.6 trillion in third party fund with outstanding financing at Rp1.5 trillion, he said.

"Third party funds grow around Rp0.5 trillion per year with a total of 400,000 clients in Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua," he said.

In a bid to boost the growth of the bank, the management offer competitive products facing conventional banks in the eastern Indonesian region.

"We offer long term housing financing (KPR) with fixed margin of 5 percent with small installments," he cited.

The bank also has expanded mobile banking application and micro, small medium (UMKM) capital financing to develop sharia economy, he said.

"We already have working capital financing program running for UMKM, both through cooperatives and sharia peoples credit bank (BPRS)," he said.

The bank also is considering to target the agricultural sector including livestock farm in expanding its sharia financing, he said.

"The Governor recommended to us to expand sharia financing business to the agricultural sector, which is highly potential in South Sulawesi," he said.

Ari met the governor to report development of Bank Muamalat, and to introduce new head of the bank for the Sulawesi Maluku and Ahmad Syahril Ilham .

"Ahmad Syahril Ilham is the first from among the local people named head of Bank Muamalat in the region," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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