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Latest Reports Credit Growth
In last month’s report we saw that Indonesia’s official economic growth rate was (in line with expectations) quite strong at 5.11 percent year-on-year (y/y) in Q1-2024. Moreover, last month we also saw that most of the macroeconomic data point at the continuation of strong growth in Q2-2024 (with the only major exception being the country’s car sales data that still showed deep red numbers).
In this article we are taking a quick look at various macroeconomic data that help us assess the state of the Indonesian economy in the first quarter of 2024. This update is much more succinct than our normal economic update because we already have one article devoted to the Indonesian economy in this report (zooming in on the Q3-2023 and full-year gross domestic growth data of 2023).
Although in some respects Indonesia has exited the COVID-19 crisis (for example, the economic recession ended in Q2-2021, and the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths eased significantly), the road ahead is uncertain and full of challenges.
Consumer credit has been the driver for credit growth in Indonesia's banking sector in the first two months of 2018. Within consumer credit it are the multipurpose and motor vehicles segments that show good growth. Based on data from Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) consumer credit grew 11.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) to IDR 1,392.4 trillion (approx. USD $101.6 billion) in February 2018, accelerating from a 10.4 percent (y/y) growth pace in the preceding month.
Bank Indonesia, the central bank of Indonesia, said credit growth in the domestic banking sector reached 7.4 percent year-on-year (y/y) per November 2017, lower than the growth rate in the preceding month (8.1 percent y/y). In absolute terms credit growth in Indonesia's banking sector stood at IDR 4,635 trillion (approx. USD $343 billion) in the January-November 2017 period.
Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) is optimistic that credit growth will accelerate in Indonesia in 2018. The lender of last resort set its credit growth forecast for 2018 at the range of 12-14 percent year-on-year (y/y), up from its 10-12 percent (y/y) growth forecast for 2017, on the back of accelerating economic growth. The Indonesian government proposes economic growth at 5.4 percent (y/y) in 2018 (possibly a too ambitious target).
Indonesia's purchasing power may not be as weak as initially assumed in the first half of 2017. It could be that consumers and businesses now actually prefer to save their funds on banks than to spend and invest. Based on data from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) third-party funds in Indonesia's banking sector (saving and deposit accounts) expanded 11.2 percent year-on-year (y/y) to IDR 5,012.5 trillion (approx. USD $3,775.4 billion) in May 2017.
As we are in the middle of earnings season, it is interesting to take a look at the January-June 2017 corporate earnings reports of Indonesia's listed companies. Something that stands out so far is the good earnings of banks and commodity-related companies (mining and agriculture). Of Indonesia's 15 biggest banks (in terms of assets) only four experienced a contraction in net profit. This good performance comes in times when credit growth has remained rather bleak in Indonesia. So where does banks' excellent profit growth come from?
The property sector of Indonesia remains somewhat depressed. This is reflected by sluggish demand for house ownership credit (in Indonesian: kredit pemilikan rumah, abbreviated as KPR) and apartment ownership credit (kredit pemilikan apartment, or KPA) so far this year. According to data from Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) KPR and KPA credit disbursement growth stood at 7.7 percent on a year-on-year (y/y) basis in May 2017, slowing from a 7.8 percent (y/y) growth pace in the preceding month.
Credit growth in Indonesia's banking sector is estimated to have, finally, touched double-digit figures in the first half of 2017, while growth should further accelerate in the remainder of the year. Some Indonesian banks saw their credit growth figures touch 20 percent (y/y) so far this year, a marked improvement from the situation one year ago. Lets zoom in on the performance of two big Indonesian banks.
Latest Columns Credit Growth
The banking sector remains a key sector for growth of Indonesia's financial industry as well as the country's general economic expansion as the sector posted the highest profits worldwide. Prasetiantoko Augustine, economist at Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), said that profitability in Indonesia's banking sector is not only highest in the ASEAN and Southeast Asian region but also worldwide. Bank Rakyat Indonesia posted the highest profit of Indonesian banks in 2013 (IDR 21 trillion), followed by Bank Mandiri (IDR 18 trillion) and BCA (IDR 14 trillion).
Moody's Investors Service, one of the big three global credit rating firms, predicts that profit in Indonesia's banking sector remains stable due to strong financial fundamentals. In its report "Indonesia Banking System Outlook", which discusses Indonesian banks' creditworthiness over the next 12 to 18 months, Moody's assesses that - despite an economic slowdown having reduced GDP growth to 5.78 percent in 2013 and puts some pressure on asset quality - high profitability and strong capital levels will continue into 2014.
At Bank Indonesia's Board of Governors’ Meeting today (13/02), it was decided to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent as well as the interest rates on the Lending Facility and Deposit Facility at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. The policy is consistent with the tight monetary policy stance currently adopted in order to steer inflation back towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce the current account deficit to a more sustainable level.
Today, Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent at the Board of Governors’ meeting. The lending facility rate and deposit facility rate were maintained at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. An assessment of the economy in 2013 and outlook for 2014-2015 indicated that such policy is consistent with ongoing efforts to keep inflation within the target of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4±1 percent in 2015, as well as to help reduce the current account deficit to a sustainable level.
