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Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), the nation's third largest
lender, is this year targeting a 40 percent increase in housing loans,
the largest contributor to its consumer lending growth.
BNI general manager for consumer loans Diah Sulistianto said Wednesday
the target was based on estimated strong demand for housing loans, in
line with an expected robust property industry.
"The property industry has grown rapidly in the past several years,
creating a total need for housing credits of around 400,000 units
annually.
"Yet, the banking sector is only absorbing around 150,000 units for
credit per year. So, the room for growth for housing bank loans is
big," Diah said after a business gathering with property agents and
developers.
If it achieves the target, BNI's housing loans would reach Rp 6.9
trillion by the end of the year, from Rp 4.73 trillion booked
throughout last year, which represented 81 percent growth from a year
earlier.
"It was remarkable growth last year thanks to the booming property
sector, which eventually triggered the need for credits for housing,"
Diah said.
Housing credits made up more than 36 percent of the bank's total
consumer loans last year, which stood at around Rp 13 trillion, from Rp
10.2 trillion a year earlier.
In total, the bank disbursed some Rp 88 trillion in loans in 2007, an
increase of 32 percent from the previous year.
Loan demand has also been helped by a declining trend in interest rates
and the bank's innovative packages offered to borrowers, Diah said.
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