Tag: OJK

  • OJK to Monitor Fintech

    OJK to Monitor Fintech

    The Financial Service Authority (OJK) has formed two new directorates as a response to financial technology (fintech) development. OJK deputy chief commissioner Rahmat Waluyanto said that the two new directorates are Digital Financial Innovation Unit and Fintech Permit and Monitoring Unit.

    “The directors have been appointed, but it can’t yet be announced because it’s not official yet. The Digital Financial Innovation Unit will handle regulatory sand box and research,” he said, as quoted by Antara last week.

    In a bid to respond to fintech development, OJK has also formed Fintech Expert Forum and fintech innovation hub. The forum will facilitate fintech industry development comprising individuals from 21 entities, such as ministries, agencies, associations, universities and other relevant business players.

    The committee will give recommendations and inputs as well as facilitate coordination between agencies and fintech start-up companies. Meanwhile, OJK’s fintech innovation center is projected to become a hub of various fintech incubators to discuss developments.

    OJK chief commissioner said that Fintech Expert Forum will facilitate and ensure coordination of various start-up players. The forum will discuss developing fintech issues. “And discuss future developments in fintech industry,” he said.

    Indonesia has seen a rapid growth of fintech players. As of January 2016, Indonesia Fintech Association reports that the country has 165 domestic start-ups. The figure has quadrupled compared to that of in the first quarter of 2014 with 40 companies.

  • OJK to expand banking access to the Philippines

    OJK to expand banking access to the Philippines

    The Financial Services Authority (OJK) plans to expand banking access to the Philippines by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the countrys central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

    The cooperation will pave way for access to some Indonesian banks that already certified as “Qualified ASEAN Bank” (QAB), the authoritys Deputy Commissioner for Supervision, I Sukarela Batunanggar, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

    “Besides the positive trends in economy growth, the two countries also have similarities in the sectors of social and economy, mainly in their domestic credit ratios,” Batunanggar stated.

    Indonesia and the Philippines, he further remarked, also have great potential in terms of their population sizes.

    “The two countries still have more opportunities to continue flourishing,” he noted.

    The LoI that was scheduled to be signed on next Sunday is an initial measure for negotiating bilateral cooperation through the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (ABIF).

    The framework, which is set by two main principles, including reciprocity and equality, is aimed at supporting the banks in expanding their business within the Southeast Asia region.

    In accordance with the framework, Batunanggar stated the authority has assessed several banks that seek to hold a QAB certification.

    Batunanggar hoped the negotiation between two countries could be completed soon, so it would enhance trade volumes between Indonesia and the Philippines.

    In 2016, the two countries trade volumes remained low, compared with other states.

    Indonesian exports to the Philippines reached less than 4 percent last year, while the imports were only about 1 percent.

    The authority had signed a similar LoI for bilateral financial cooperation with Bank of Thailand (BOT) in March last year.

    Another bilateral deal was implemented between the countrys financial authority and the Malaysian bank central in August last year.

  • OJK to Expand Banking Industry, Aims for Thailand

    OJK to Expand Banking Industry, Aims for Thailand

    Financial Services Authority (OJK) Chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said that the OJK is in the process of exploring the possibilities of expanding Indonesian banking industry overseas.

    “The most possible [cooperation] is with Thailand, because there have been two or three meetings,” Muliaman said.

    Muliaman said that similar cooperation will also be established with other countries. Muliaman explained that Thailand serves as an important stepping stone to establish cooperation with Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. “Why Thailand? Because Thailand has dominant business [partnership] with its neighbouring countries,” Muliaman added.

    Muliaman said that there are lots of possibilities for Indonesia to expand its financial industry to Thailand. Moreover, several of Indonesian business sectors have started to expand to Thailand, including property and trade.

    Aviliani, an economist from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) praised OJK’s plan to integrate the national banking industry with ASEAN. Aviliani said that the integration is important to allow Indonesian banks to open branch offices and conduct business activities in neighbouring countries. However, Aviliani asserted that the policy may not always favour the banking industry. “Banks will always reflect on market potential,” Aviliani said.

    Aviliani added that the potential for overseas banking market is not quite as large as the domestic market. “Opening [branch offices] overseas will be difficult if [banks] cannot profit. But when foreign banks expand to Indonesia they will reap benefits because [Indonesia] has a large market potential,” Aviliani said.