REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The increase of Bank Indonesia (BI) interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 7.5 percent is not directly responded by the rise of interest rate on micro and small medium enterprises. It can increase ratio of non performing loan (NPL).

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) as  the largest micro lender in the country has not rise its interest rates on SMEs loans. BRI SMEs loans fell from 22 percent in June 2013 to 19.25 percent in November. BRI SMEs Director, Djarot Kusumayakti said that SMEs sector actually was insensitive to current economic uncertainty. He is optimistic that NPL remains good.

"What we do until now, we have not increase SMEs interest rates," Kusumayakti said recently.

Kusumayakti said that NPL risk not came from micro sector, but from banking industries. SMEs enterpreneurs have good skills.

PT Bank Mandiri has not raised SMEs interest loans since June 2013. Bank Mandiri Micro and Retail Director, Heri Gunardi explained that company still put the number in level of 22 percent to avoid NPL rise. He said that each bank have analyzed which sectors that could influence inflation, so that there was no sign to rise SMEs interest rates.

Director of Finance and SMEs Development in BI, Enny Panggabean said that banks should be careful in raising mortgage interest rates as it could potentially result high NPL. BI asked banks to always keep NPL at low level. NPL is important to maintain bank's health.

"We expect that bank can estimate how much their ability to pay. Bank is not just looking for high margin," Panggabean said. 

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