State-controlled Bank Mandiri, the leading bank in Indonesia in terms of asset size, will be allowed to open 20 branches in Malaysia after financial authorities in Indonesia and Malaysia signed an agreement. Although Muliaman D Hadad, Chief Commissioner at Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK), said that the government of Malaysia still needs to ratify the agreement, it is expected that Bank Mandiri will be able to open its Malaysian branches before the end of the year.

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Bank Indonesia's decision to cut Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) gradually from 7.50 percent at the year-start to 6.75 percent in March should lead to rising credit growth in Indonesia as borrowing costs have become less expensive. Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest financial institution by assets, should see its financial performance improve due to the looser monetary policy. For Trimegah Securities the new context was reason to revise its forecast for net profit and net interest income of Bank Mandiri, a state-controlled entity that is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (the central government owns a 60 percent stake).

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