They want to see what kind of financial services and insurance industries they can engage in in Indonesia and wish to enter the Indonesian market. BNI offered cooperation by showing the company`s ability and the number of our customers.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State-run Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) is to explore the possibility of collaborating with South Korea`s Hanwha group in the field of financial and insurance services.

An assessment of cooperation possibilities between BNI and Hanwha Group was conducted on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here on Monday.

BNI President Director Gatot M Suwondo said Hanwha Group was one of ten major companies in South Korea that was utilizing the WEF forum to find opportunities for doing business in Indonesia.

"They want to see what kind of financial services and insurance industries they can engage in in Indonesia and wish to enter the Indonesian market. BNI offered cooperation by showing the company`s ability and the number of our customers," said Gatot on the sidelines of the WEF meeting.

Gatot said that Hanwha Group act as a big conglomerates that runs in many industrial sectors such as industry and construction, distribution and entertainment, finance and trade, communications, and sports.

Hanwha Group is one of several major companies who attended the WEF and take advantage of this international event to seek business cooperation opportunities with a number of Indonesian firms including BNI.

"We want to be a bridge for the foreign investment entry and the WEF is very helpful for that purpose, more Indonesian companies should join as a WEF member," he said.

There are only 16 Indonesian companies who are legally listed as the WEF members, where four of them are state-owned enterprises (BUMN) such as BNI, Bank Mandiri and Pertamina (state owned oil and gas Company).

According Gatot, WEF is best opportunity to promote Indonesia especially in the last 5-6 years of Indonesia`s economic fundamentals considered very well, and attracts the world economic desires.

"The foreign firms' presence is important because we desperately need those funds to continue boosting our economy. This is our opportunity to attract Foreign Direct Investment, this is the opportunity to promote Indonesia`s good business and Indonesian investment prospects are also good," he said.

Standard Chartered Bank`s Chief Representative Tom Aaker in Indonesia in the same occasion also said that this WEF forum is very important for the Indonesian economy, as a country that has the highest economic growth in the world.

"This is an opportunity for Standard Chartered Indonesia to communicate about Indonesian economy to some colleagues in promoting Indonesia to other international companies and countries," he said.

Aaker said that Standard Chartered had been in Indonesia for 148 years which is a very appropriate example in promoting the Indonesian economy which is conducive for foreign business enterprises.

"We`re very confident, business in Indonesia will continue to grow higher, so does the growth of our bank as well, with more customers and branches," said Aaker who targeted a 20 percent credit growth this year. (A050/C/HAJM/18:40/f001)

(ANTARA)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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