Perbanas: National Banks Resilient in Facing External Economic Pressures
JAKARTA - The National Banking Association (Perbanas) has revealed that the national banking industry has strengthened its risk management frameworks and prudential banking principles amid rising global risks due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Perbanas General Chairman Hery Gunardi stated that the national banking industry has undertaken several mitigation efforts and will continue to reinforce the measures already in place.
“We see global risks increasing, particularly through the transmission of rising energy prices and financial market volatility. In this context, banking will further strengthen prudential principles through enhanced risk management and asset quality,” Hery said in a written statement on Saturday (28/3/2026).
Sectoral stress tests have been conducted on sectors sensitive to rising energy costs, such as transportation, logistics, and manufacturing.
Additionally, banks are increasing credit disbursement discipline through a risk-based pricing approach, maintaining adequate liquidity by optimising the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and net stable funding ratio (NSFR).
National banks are also managing foreign exchange exposure more conservatively through hedging strategies and control of net foreign exchange positions.
Hery revealed that with these various mitigation efforts, the banking industry is expected to remain resilient and capable of supporting domestic economic growth amid external pressures that could intensify in the short to medium term.
The President Director of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk also emphasised that despite increasing external volatility, the fundamental indicators of domestic banking remain at solid levels.
This is reflected in sustained credit growth, adequate liquidity, and strong capitalisation.
Previously, the OJK had urged banks and industry supervisors to view the Middle East conflict as a warning to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.
OJK Banking Supervisory Executive Head Dian Ediana Rae stated that they are preparing to face this global volatility.
“We must prepare in the sense that if the situation worsens, we must take certain steps to review our various policies,” she said when met after the Oath-Taking Ceremony for Members of the Financial Services Authority Board of Commissioners on Wednesday (25/3/2026).
Nevertheless, OJK assesses that so far, the impact of this conflict on financial stability is not as serious as what occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.