REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Banks will be more selective in providing credit for import loans to reduce current account deficit and reach stability. Bank Indonesia (BI) estimated that increasing import would lead instability to current transaction.
In the first half of 2013, credit of PT Bank OCBC NISP increased up to 19 percent year on year at level of 57 trillion IDR. About 41 percent was disbursed for working capital, 36 percent for investment and 23 percent for consumption.
"Company will be more selective to give import loans which are consumptive and productive credit. For example, productive credit to finance imports of machinery," President DIrector of Bank OCBC NISP Parwati Surjaudaja said in the last week end.
Executive Director of Department of Communication in BI, Difi Johansyah, said import credit surged in June 2013. Portofolio of import credit rose in second quarter of 2013, from 53.31 trillion in May to 57.19 trillion IDR in the end of June.
"We won't put any restriction, but we rather want stability," Johansyah said.
Economist of PT Bank Danamon Indonesia, Dian Ayu Yustina said banking would be exposed to BI policies which aimed to slow import credit in future. Once the import loans drop, consumer credit will be lowered so that import numbers will decline.