Mega Launch Corporate Card is done first at the Ritz-Carlton, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta, Thursday (28/1/10) by the Director of Retail Thayib Kostaman Bank Mega. Present a number of CEO and chairman of the leading companies in Indonesia.

The presence of Mega Corporate Card in addition to a backdrop of a very high potential in the corporate market, diversification of credit card products, optimize the bank’s risk management, and also to increase the sales volume of credit card Bank Mega. Until the end of December 2009, the performance of Mega Bank credit cards has reached 650,734 cards, up 33 percent compared to the same month in 2008, the 491,835 cards.

In this launch, Vikram Kshettry, Director, Business Development Commercial Solutions, Asia Pacific business and explain the system Visa International credit cards, while Chris Pok, Commercial Manager of Indonesia – Singapore Airlines to explain corporate programs.

According to Kostaman, as new products, Mega Corporate Card targeting large corporate market and are in daily medium dominated by transactions which require high-speed and urgenitas.

Therefore, Mega Corporate Card is designed with features that provide superior comfort not only trade, but for a dynamic individual card is also equipped with facilities and special offers to meet the needs of professionals.

Corporate credit card was launched considering the business world increasingly demanding flexibility especially in terms of answering the needs of travel and entertainment business is currently moving toward globalization. Many companies need the right solutions, effective and efficient not only to facilitate the monitoring functions for the company officials who travel a lot or lots posted outside the office, but also the speed and ease of doing these activities.

One of the banking facilities which are generally used in conducting official business trips in / out of the country is a credit card

There are two types of credit cards that give the Central Mega Corporate Accounts; Virtual Card, which the company provided only numbers without the physical card account and is generally used to make transactions of a general nature for the company, such as payments for procurement, vendor, and routine bills.

Also Mega Corporate Card, Corporate cards given to individuals based on the company’s request, such as for the cost of official travel, client entertainment.

“Yes, if the data distribution of foreign bank loans down his usual stuff.’s Seasional, so volatile,” he said, after a press conference launching Priority Banking, at Hotel Mulia Jakarta, Wednesday (27/1/2010).

Known, foreign bank loans from 2009 until early October 2009 the position (year to date) decreased by 18.1 percent. Since early 2009, the distribution of credit from foreign banks fell 18.1 percent from Rp 115.5 trillion to Rp 97.8 trillion. The decline is supported by the decrease in foreign currency loans fell 36.7 percent from Rp 65.6 trillion to Rp 48.1 trillion.

So was what happened from September to the position in October 2009. Credit forex foreign banks fell 4.6 percent from Rp 50.2 trillion to Rp 48.1 trillion. And the credit of the rupiah currency rose just 2.1 percent thinner than Rp 48.7 trillion to Rp 49.7 trillion.

Lani said, credit growth continued to decline due to interest customers who experienced a decline. “Most of them much more needs to pay employee salaries, school fees, and so on,” said an example.

Barack Obama once again made a breakthrough. This time refers to the thoughts of former Central Bank governor Paul Volcker. Thought is not far from the Banking Act of 1933 which is better known as the Glass-Steagall Act. Act was sponsored by Carter Glass and Steagall B Hendry.

Law was out in 1933 after the Great Depression. Core of the Glass-Steagall Act that prohibited commercial banks collaborate with brokerage firms or participating in investment banking activities. This law created to protect depositors from the additional risk from securities transactions.

At that time, the bank, for example, could be the issuance of stock underwriters. If the shares they do not sell jajakan, they bought using funds from the depositors. Often it without the knowledge of the depositor. Transactions for the sake of the bank is known as prop trading.

However, the Act was abolished in 1999. Consequently, the difference between commercial banks and securities increasingly blurred. Finance minister when the post was held by Lawrence Summers. The new law allows commercial banks, securities, and insurance united. According to Summers, this way the U.S. financial industry can grow and compete better.

With the new law, born of financial giants like Citigroup, a combination of commercial bank Citicorp and Travelers Group insurance company.

This mixing triggered conflicts of interest and is considered as one of the roots of the financial crisis.

Not heard

For months, Paul Volcker proposed a plan to fix Wall Street, which is making a clear boundary line between commercial banks and investment banks. Since the revocation of Glass-Steagall Act, which allowed institutions to collect funds allowed third parties to produce benefits not only from the old ways, shed credit and charge interest, but running hedge funds and speculative ways of others.

Volcker said that since their insured deposits of the central government, large banks may take risks that ultimately must be borne by the taxpayers. He insisted that the incentives are structured, totally unfair and the root of the crisis. It needs to be done for the U.S. banking system is to improve incentives to avoid a similar crisis.

For months, Volcker also ideas not heard by Obama administration. Both reform proposals from the government and the parliament based on the approach “too big to fall”. Approach translated by way of increasing capital requirements, making mechanisms of government bailouts and improve supervision of systemic risk.

U.S. financial system seems to minimize such risks. One reason for the perception that some financial firms “too big to fall”. Under Volcker rule, only commercial banks are not too risky just to enjoy that status. Investment banks, hedge funds and private equity firms have to rely on ourselves. Commercial banks may not engage in the activities of hedge funds and private equity funds because of conflict of interest in normal banking relationships.

Not a few migrant workers who were forced to leave beloved Dubai as the financial crisis that hit Dubai. Friends Mahmoud Tamimi said that as a syndrome of Dubai. Tamimi (31) has a nice apartment and a job in Dubai. Luxury apartment, a salary of 3700 U.S. dollars per month or about USD 35 million. The amount is tens of times more than the salary he received in his hometown, Jordan.

The situation is reversed last year. The financial crisis makes Tamimi lost their jobs. Because the apartment must be returned to the company when he was dismissed, Tamimi had to get out of the apartment.

Currently she huddled in a small apartment with his wife and two children and seven other family members in the slum area in Amman, Jordan. He is now looking for a job whose salary is obviously much smaller than he received in Dubai.

Fall Dubai not only affect the situation in the country town. Big promises the people in the financial sector of the financial miracle of Dubai is also increasingly in doubt. In fact, before the financial crisis on Dubai, engorgement of economic growth in Dubai has forced migrant workers, such as Tamimi, returned to his hometown.

Back to the country of origin for re-Tamimi is a small salary and face employment shortages in the country.

Shipments declined

The situation is affecting families in the Middle East is highly dependent on transfers from migrant workers in the Persian Gulf region and keemiratan like Dubai.

Of course, bad news from Dubai is also bad news for the Arab world is experiencing economic stagnation, high unemployment and low wages that have been frustrating the youth there.

According to World Bank estimates, money transfers from abroad who send migrant workers or remitansi expected to decline by seven percent this year across the Middle East and Arab countries in North Africa. This decrease is the first in the last decade.

In some countries, the situation is even worse. Remitansi from migrant workers to Egypt has been reduced to only a quarter of last year compared with the previous year. This report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), last October.

Arab workers work everywhere, including to Europe. However, the Gulf countries have become rich remitansi source to the Middle East. Dubai is one of the driving machine.

Dubai is built from the booming tourism trade and the fruits of migrant workers, such as Tamimi. Only one in 10 inhabitants of Dubai who numbered 1.5 million is a native of Dubai.

Impact everywhere

Not only the Arab expatriates who have been affected by the economic decline in Dubai. The impact is also felt by blue-collar workers from India and South Asia are generally low-paid work in the field of construction, such as the construction of the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa. Philippines people who fill many jobs in service sector also felt the impact. They all lose their jobs in Dubai. In fact, workers who are still alive and living in Dubai is expected to send less money to his hometown. Thus the World Bank economists estimate, Dilip Ratha.

Tamimi now can only remember the beautiful days in Dubai.

This is a combination of cooperation and collaboration between the BNI and the Posindo shared a money transfer service with the potential and different resources.

With this partnership, BNI money transfer services can be forwarded to the service of weselpos instant Posindo that can reach remote areas as sending money via money order.

This cooperation was marked by the signing of cooperation agreements between Subiantoro Bien, Director of Treasury & International BNI with Setyo Riyanto, Marketing Director of PT Pos Indonesia, witnessed by Parikesit Suprapto, Deputy Minister for SOEs Line of Business Banking and Financial Services; Felia Salim Deputy Director BNI; and I Ketut Mardjana, President Director of PT Pos Indonesia, in Jakarta on Monday (25.1.2010).

According to Bien, the synergy between BNI and is believed Posindo can provide added value for both parties and be able to explore a greater potential for money transfer business in the future.

“With the globalization makes no longer any boundaries between countries for people who work or run a business that takes money transfer service that is easy, fast and cheap. BNI answer these challenges by improving performance and remittances services to customers across the country, including by expanding the network through collaboration with other institutions, “said Bien

BNI Smart Remittance Service to BNI superior service, supported by a broad international network and collaboration with other institutions. BNI has 5 overseas branches in major cities of the world are London, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, a subsidiary of BRL (BNI Remittance Limited) in Hong Kong which has 4 outlets, Remittance Representative in the countries of the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Asia including Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and the support of more than 1300 correspondent banks all over the world.

BNI also developed the concept of virtual offices and also collaborated with major institutions in other countries, such as with Japan Post (Genkin Kaketomei) and SingPost.

With an international network is extensive it will be more complete through collaboration with PT Pos Indonesia. So that remittances can be served by the service to reach weselpos instant on remote areas with a network of PT Pos Indonesia.

“This collaboration is also to be our commitment in supporting the Ministry in implementing the state-owned SOEs Incorporated, which is increasing synergy or mutually beneficial cooperation between the SOEs to improve the performance of SOEs in general,” he added

BNI remittance performance in 2009 both incoming and outgoing transfers rose sharply transfer. For the delivery slip the slip reaches 2.05 million or 103 percent of the target with a nominal value reached 35.6 billion U.S. dollars. This year, BNI target increased remittance transactions rose by 20 percent.

Vice President Director of Bank Mandiri l Mertayasa Wayan Agus last weekend in Denpasar, Bali said, Xl Regional Office Denpasar Bali mellputi region, NTT and NTB.

“We want to participate actively in the development of the region Central Indonesia by providing banking products and comprehensive services for people in areas not reached. In addition, we also want to develop the potential of SME sector to support regional economic development,” said Deputy Director main Mandiri I Wayan Agus Mertayasa during the inauguration of the Regional Office.

In addition to credit to SME segment, the bank also ingln strengthen the banking business in the consumer segment in the tourism sector and explore the business potential in the province of Bali is more deep and aggressive, especially related to transactional banking businesses.

Meanwhile, NTB and NTT provinces require banks to support infrastukturnya development in tourism sector development. “We also look at NTB and NTT provinces have great potential in the agricultural sector to work with the maximum,” said Wayan Agus.
Total banking assets in these three provinces during the last five years grew an average 15.1 percent per year, faster than national banks.

In 2004, total banking assets in the three provinces was Rp 29.4 trillion. As per November 2009 rose to Rp 59.2 trillion. Credit growth grew at an average 22.1 percent per year.

Total credits in these three provinces rose from Rp 13.4 trillion in 2004 to Rp 35.9 trillion in November 2009.

Meanwhile, Micro Credit, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are distributed in these three provinces grew an average 22.3 percent per year. Total loans increased from Rp MSME 11.5 trillion in 2004 to Rp 30.9 trillion in November 2009.

Eight banks increased their ranking by Fitch Ratings on Wednesday (27/1/2010), the Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Central Asia, Bank CIMB Niaga, Bank Danamon, Bank Internasional Indonesia, Bank NISP OCBC and UOB Bank Buana.

Earlier, on January 25th, the same institution to raise the rank of Indonesia `s debts in foreign currency, from BB to BB + with stable outlook.

“This ranking reflects the increase in endurance in the midst of the financial performance of operating conditions more difficult, especially in the first quarter of 2009,” said Director of Financial Institutions Group Fitch Ratings Tan Lai Peng in Jakarta.

He explained that the increase was ranked according to Fitch Ratings’ expectations that the improvement of banking in Indonesia will continue because the macro economic outlook is stronger in 2010.

Although ranking these banks rose, Tan admitted that the quality of loans in almost all banks in 2009 decreased. This decline is expected to continue in early 2010. However, Tan believes, operating conditions are better this year will support the credit quality and profitability in the future.

In the midst of political criticism

According to analysts of capital markets and banking, Mirza Adityaswara, Indonesia increase state rank reflects the trust of international agencies on macro economic conditions of Indonesia. In 2009, Indonesia one of the few countries in the world that have a positive economic growth, which is 4.3 percent.

This year, Mirza said, Indonesia’s economic growth could be supported by 5,3-5,7 percent with a large population, heavy reliance on exports is relatively low, a healthy banking system, as well as fiscal policy and financial authorities to be careful.

“So, in the midst of criticism against the government some politicians, turned out to agencies such as Fitch Ratings gave praise to raise the ratings of Indonesia and Indonesian banks,” said Mirza.

Related increase in the ranks of eight banks with liquidity, Mirza said, since the 2009 third quarter, is no longer a problem of liquidity in the domestic banking system.

The flow of credit in this year, according to Mirza, will depend on the demand for credit and real sector activity for bank loans that have not been distributed is still quite large.

Should, go Mirza, real sector activity in this year may be in line with the improvement of the global economy and the domestic economy. Thus, loans from banks that have not been distributed can be used by employers.

BI Deputy Governor Muliaman D Hadad said, his department saw the condition of the national banking system is now strong enough and get the trust of the community. This is the opportunities for banks that will begin to look the global market.

“We need not lose heart because of our banking industry is strong enough, there was even a glance at the global market,” said Muliaman said the Banking Industry Dialogue in 2010 in the Multipurpose Building Indonesian Banking Development Institute (LPPI), Jakarta, Monday (25 / 1 / 2010).

He insisted, if necessary, it would facilitate the national banking system to speak with the banking authorities of other countries in order to obtain legal umbrella to go global. Related to this, the BI will also hold talks with member countries of G-20.

“As a member of the G-20, we can speak with authority from other countries in order to dipayungi to go global,” he said.

Banking Industry Dialogue was held LPPI to facilitate a meeting between the banking industry and the regulator. Discussed here further that agenda will be made in answering the opportunities and challenges in the Indonesian banking system in 2010.

This event was also a forum for deepening the Bankers Dinner held BI on January 22, 2010. Present in this dialogue of the Board of Banking Association and all relevant directors or echelon I of the government banks, regional development banks, national private banks, banks mixed, Islamic banks, foreign banks, and people’s credit banks.

Deputy Director and Executive Director of SBI Group Pratip Chaudhuri says, than other ASEAN countries, “Indonesia is our main priority,” as quoted by the oldest English-language daily in India, The Statesman, Sunday (24/1/2010). After Indonesia, banks in Thailand and the Philippines to be the next target.

In Indonesia, SBI Group banks aimed beraset Rp 1 trillion, with a minimum number of branch offices 40 offices. Acquisition budget 200 million U.S. dollars. “Target acquisition accomplished in the second quarter of this year,” added Subramanian Sathyamurthy, Director of Operations, Treasury, and Technology SBI Indonesia, to Cash, Tuesday (26/1/2010). The plan, SBI will combine this new bank with Bank Indomonex already ruled since 2006.

Do not want to miss, Union Bank claimed the shooting of four middle-class banks in Indonesia. Told The Financial Express, Indian government-owned bank that claimed to have received approval from shareholders of the bank in Indonesia. Other Indian banks that had expressed interest to enter Indonesia is the Punjab National Bank (PNB). However, that plan has not heard the rest until now.

Not only investors from India are seriously targeting banks in Indonesia. South Korean banks, such as The Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) and the Korea Development Bank (KDB), also have the same interests. Management both the red plates bank claims are just waiting for approval from their shareholders to run the expansion.

Although looks aggressive, move investors from India and South Korea was practically behind when compared to investors from Malaysia and Singapore who first tasted the sweetness of a bank in the country.

Director of Licensing and Banking Information BI Bank Indonesia Swastanto Joni said, until now BI has not received application for a license acquisition from Korean investors. Finally, BI has received application for a license RHB Banking Group will acquire Bank Mestika Dharma.

The aggressiveness of foreign investors are apparently triggered by the sweetness of the banking business in the country. In addition to the broad market, they are tempted by the interest margin is nearly 7 percent and the liberal ownership rules, up to 99 percent.

So that the funds come from outside will only be hot money, where if the conditions in the volatile country such hot money could easily go to other countries.

“What we do not have what the risk to be money coming in we absorb adopt risk. We have a system enggak. we are stagnant, the DPK all get together in big banks, in exchange transactions, we are busy in the money market, “said Capital Market Observer, Yanwar Rizki, after the polemics Trijaya FM, in Warung Daun, Cikini, Jakarta, Saturday (30 / 1 / 2010).

He stated that the Government should be able to follow the example of several countries that dare to take advantage of the flow of hot money to run the real sector.

Dicontohkannya, China which has institutions that are tasked to find the hot money, but those funds will flow in the form of subsidies to certain sectors.

“In 2010, China had been doing the tightening of liquidity, but for agriculture and rural business subsidies provided by him. As driving by the government to lower interest rates as a cost factor. Country’s estimated production costs decline for the sector absorbs the largest kindergarten, “he said

Meanwhile, in European countries the government provides tax incentives for banks to give credit to the dominant sector and the government set also providing tax incentives for companies that reinvest into This real sector. It is the Government should do to manage the flow of hot money entering the order does not come easily.

“Just pick which one? we is not no nothing, just silence. There if the index rises, it strengthened the exchange rate falls, “he concluded.