Perniagaan raises capital

JAKARTA (JP): A new owner of Bank Perniagaan has increased the bank's paid-in capital to Rp 266.9 billion (US$90.47 million) from Rp 66.9 billion.

The bank said yesterday that Nirwan Dermawan Bakrie, the bank's new investor, injected Rp 200 billion in fresh funds earlier this month to strengthen the bank's working capital.

"After the capital injection, Nirwan Dermawan Bakrie controls 99 percent of the bank shares," the bank said.

In March this year, Nirwan through Bakrie Capital Indonesia (BCI), a subsidiary of the Bakrie Group, bought Bank Perniagaan for Rp 200 billion.

Bakrie Capital also bought a 70 percent stake in Elang Realty, a company which previously owned the bank. The property company was renamed PT Bakrie Land Development.

The bank said that besides raising its capital, Nirwan, one of Aburizal Bakrie's younger brothers, deposited about Rp 150 billion in the bank.

Since the change in ownership, Bank Perniagaan has improved its financial performance.

The bank's lending increased to Rp 1.44 trillion as of August from Rp 1.08 trillion in February this year, while its net profit increased to Rp 643 million from Rp 2 million in the same period. (aly)