IBRA pushes indebted bankers

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) is pushing the former owners of seven private banks nationalized in March to repay some Rp 9.4 trillion (US$1.4 billion) in debts to the government.

IBRA said in a statement issued over the weekend that it hoped the former bank owners would repay their debts in cash or other liquid assets.

The agency said it had sent repayment commitment forms to the former owners of four nationalized banks: Bank Nusa Nasional (BNN), Bank Risjad Salim Internasional (Bank RSI), Bank Pos Nusantara and Bank Tamara.

IBRA said the owners of BNN and Bank RSI had returned the forms, and the former owner of Bank RSI had agreed to repay his debt to the government by pledging assets worth Rp 1.4 trillion.

IBRA said it was still negotiating with the former owner of BNN on the manner of its debt repayment.

The agency expects the former owners of Bank Pos Nusantara and Bank Tamara to return their forms sometime this week.

IBRA said it would soon send repayment commitment forms to the former owners of three other nationalized banks: Bank Duta Jaya, Bank Internasional and Bank Rama.(rei)