"Around 90 percent of the credits went to the construction sector..."
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Pekanbaru branch of Bank Jabar Banten (Bank BJB) is seeking to expand its credit market in construction sector in mineral rich regencies of Riau.

"Construction credits are growing significantly. In the past year construction credits of the bank grew 400 percent," Muhammad Ruli Fahmi, the head of the Pekanbaru branch of BJB said here on Tuesday.

Ruli said construction credit marketing become the bank`s priority targeting mining contractors for big projects of US oil company Chevron and state oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

He said the bank, which is jointly owned by the provincial administrations of West Java and Banten, also offers bank guarantee for the mining contractors.

"The number of bank guarantee clients has continued to increase mainly in the regencies of Bengkalis, Tembilahan, Duri, Bangkinang, Rengat , etc." he said.

The bank has only one branch office in Pekanbaru, but it has disbursed around Rp30 billion in construction credits in 18 months or an increase of 400 percent from the first year it started operation in the province.

"Around 90 percent of the credits went to the construction sector and the rest in corporate and other credits," Ruli said.

Recently the bank agreed to provide credits for civil servants of the Pekanbaru city administration, he said, adding similar agreements have been reached with other district administrations in the province.

The bank branch recorded Rp50 billion in third party funds it held by Sept. 2012.

"The depositors include not only people from West Java but also local farmers, plantation workers and local business people," he said.

He said he had asked for the opening of auxiliary branches in a number of areas to serve growing number of clients.
(Uu.AS/H-ASG/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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