BNI: Lower Reserve Requirement to Boost Lending Capacity
Jakarta (ANTARA) — PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BNI, believes the additional liquidity created by a reduction in the reserve requirement (GWM) could support banks’ capacity to provide financing, provided it is accompanied by prudent practices and adequate risk management.
“BNI continues to optimise its intermediation role so that bank financing can support business and investment activity while also creating jobs. We are doing this while maintaining credit quality and the company’s resilience,” BNI Corporate Secretary Okki Rushartomo said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
The bank is strengthening its role in financial intermediation to support business activity and national economic growth. It is doing so by providing measured financing to productive sectors while maintaining asset quality, liquidity and capital adequacy.
BNI said this approach was in line with Bank Indonesia’s (BI) policy direction, which seeks to balance stability and economic growth, including through interest-rate policy and the easing of banking liquidity.
The bank is focusing its financing on productive sectors with sound business prospects and the capacity to expand business operations, investment and employment.
Okki added that stronger intermediation must be matched by disciplined risk management, particularly amid global and domestic economic uncertainty.
“By providing quality credit and working in synergy with the government, regulators and Himbara members, BNI will continue to support financing for productive sectors and the national development agenda,” Okki said.
BNI said it would continue to balance credit growth with asset quality, liquidity and capital, ensuring that financial intermediation remains sound and sustainable while contributing to national economic growth.
As a state-owned enterprise in the Danantara Indonesia ecosystem, BNI also said it was strengthening its role in supporting growth in the real economy through sound, measured financing.
This direction is in line with the transformation of state-owned enterprises, which seeks to boost competitiveness and efficiency and increase their contribution to the real economy and national growth.
BI’s Board of Governors Meeting on 20–21 October 2026 decided to keep the BI-Rate at 5.75 per cent and the lending facility rate at 6.5 per cent, while raising the deposit facility rate to 5 per cent.
BI also strengthened its macroprudential policy, including through a phased reduction in the reserve requirement beginning in November 2026. The policy is expected to give banks greater liquidity to support lending and financing for the real economy.
For conventional commercial banks (BUK), the reserve requirement will be cut from 9 per cent to 8 per cent from 1 November 2026, and then to 7 per cent from 1 December 2026.
For Islamic commercial banks (BUS) and Islamic business units (UUS), the requirement will fall from 7.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent in November 2026, and then to 5.5 per cent in December 2026.