REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Several foreign and local investors told Bank Indonesia (BI) about their interests on build Islamic bank in Indonesia, the Deputy Governor of BI, Halim Alamsyah, said on Friday. "An investor will soon submit to BI. The time depends on the bank," he said.
The investor applied to open Islamic bank is from Indonesian commercial bank. Some foreign investors interested in building Islamic bank in Indonesia come from Middle East. But Alamsyah refused to mention further because the proposals were still being studied.
Indonesia has a great potential on Islamic banking sector. Recently, BI noted 11 Islamic commersial banks (BUS), 24 Islamic business unit (UUS), and 155 Islamic rural bank (BPRS).The expansion of Islamic bank in 2011 is also high as it reaches 50 percent. The total asset of Islamic bank in Indonesia is 7.222 billion USD. And the total asset made Indonesia sit in number 13 in the world.