JAKARTA, 15 July 2014  -  Consistent in encouraging financial access for the lower-income segments of society as well as for micro & small enterprises, including productive poor communities (mass market), PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional Tbk (SMBCI) continues to develop a business which focuses on serving and empowering these segments of society.

One of the strategic measures undertaken recently has been to develop the sharia business unit (unit usaha syariah or UUS) of SMBCI into a sharia commercial bank (bank umum syariah or BUS). As part of this development, SMBCI has taken a series of corporate actions, including the acquisition of PT Bank Sahabat Purba Danarta and its conversion into a syariah bank, which was followed by the separation, or spin off, of the SMBCI sharia business unit into a sharia commercial bank.

After receiving permission from the regulators for the conversion of Bank Sahabat and spin off of the sharia business unit, on Monday (14/7), SMBCI Syariah is now officially up and running. Shareholders have appointed Harry AS Sukadis as President Director of SMBCI Syariah. Meanwhile, the position of President Commissioner will be filled by Kemal Azis Stamboel.

“Today represents one of the most important milestones on our journey to promote the syariah banking industry. In line with its financial inclusion initiatives, SMBCI is developing SMBCI Syariah, which for now is focused on serving the budding segment of community businesses, with the objective of empowering millions of poor and mid-level families to achieve better lives by emphasizing the following four key behavioral characteristics: Courage to do business, Discipline, Hard Work and Mutual Assistance,” said Anika Faisal, a Director of SMBCI.

The sharia business unit (UUS) of SMBCI was initiated in 2008 and developed further to focus on serving productive poor communities in 2010. With this change in business focus, the sharia business unit of SMBCI grew rapidly. As of 31 March 2014, it had assets of Rp 2,2 trillion, a rise of 122,5% from Rp 986 billion in the first quarter of 2013 (year on year/yoy). The value of its financing reached Rp 1,62 trillion, an increase of 160% from the same position in the previous year when this figure stood at Rp 621 billion. The number of its customers from productive poor communities reached 1,041,357, representing growth of 95,5% from the previous figure of 532,725 customers. 

At present SMBCI Syariah has more than 8,250 employees, while service is provided to customers at 13 branch offices, 44 Syariah Bank Service points (office channeling), and with the support of 1,224 Syariah Mobile Marketing teams.

Harry AS Sukadis, President Director of SMBCI Syariah, explains that Syariah constitutes a universal business platform. Just as with a conventional bank, management of this syariah platform is carried out on a professional basis. Syariah banking uses a particular methodology that promises a balance in its economic system, to which everybody is entitled regardless of their religious background.

SMBCI owns 70% of the shares of SMBCI Syariah. The other shareholders, meanwhile, are PT Triputra Persada Rahmat with 28,59% and Yayasan Purba Danarta with 1,41%.

Share