BNI Syariah has over the last few years enjoyed considerable growth. Between 2012 and 2014, our total assets increased from 10.645 trillion IDR to 17.351 trillion IDR, while financing has risen from 7.632 trillion IDR to 13.368 trillion IDR over the same period. Third party funds have also grown substantially, and we carried out an expansion of our branch network to now operate 65 branch outlets and a further 161 sub-branch offices.

Recently, BNI Syariah has been acknowledged as a brand champion of shariah saving and shariah mortgage financing as we received the distinction of “Indonesia Middle Class Moslem Brand Champion 2014” from SWA Magazine. We also received the Best Shariah Banking Award from Investor Magazine. As such we are proud to say that we have built upon our past successes in strengthening our position as a leader in Indonesia’s Islamic banking industry.

Hasanah means acting in accordance with virtue, merit, kindness and with the ultimate goal of doing a good deed. We introduced this concept so that it becomes ingrained in our corporate culture and flows through all aspects of our company. Hasanah now stands as the guideline and moral compass we adhere to in offering our products and services, and more generally speaking shapes our mindset in the way we do business.

Hasanah is also our credo and is an integral part of our recruitment process to ensure that we hire motivated employees willing to contribute to a collaborative and positive work environment. It is very important that the entire BNI Syariah family embraces this concept, as doing so is very much in line with our shariah values.  Hasanah can be best thought of as the ‘software’ of our business entity, while shariah itself is the ‘hardware’.

We realize that to sustain the Islamic banking sector’s onward growth we need to keep our focus on continuously developing strong fundamental company values. That is why our business plan has been designed to gradually enhance our competency as the cornerstone for our growth. For the first three years consumer products drove our development, and we have now moved on to other fields such as micro banking and commercial banking. In the future we will increase our role in these specific sectors considering that there are substantial opportunities to cater to Indonesia’s fast emerging second cities.

With more players in the sharia banking industry, we benefit from the spreading out of shariah banking literacy. The local market now understands more about investing money into shariah banking systems, and customers better understand how best to choose services that match their individual needs. This is to the advantage of banks such as ourselves, as we are able to offer superior products that are supported by the same type of IT systems used by our parent company PT Bank BNI Persero Tbk.

Our liquidity mostly originates from retail funding, which requires advanced proficiency in transactional banking. To further the popularity of these products we offer services such as internet banking, SMS banking, and nationwide ATMs that tap into the Prima and MasterCard International network – all of which are becoming necessities for today’s customers.

Our wide range of products is also tailored to the unique needs of different customer segments. For example, Tabungan iB Tunas is well suited for a children’s saving account; iB Baitullah Hasanah was created for Hajj saving accounts; and Tabungan iB Bisnis Hasanah caters to customers needing business saving accounts. All of these products are offered in keeping with Hasanah values as the primary means for us to gain the trust of our customers.

As has been mentioned previously, to widen the areas of expertise we need to further our competency, as well as advance our risk management system.  Corporate and retail commercial financing is the sector to focus on for the future, besides mortgage financing and micro banking.  Mortgage financing has been our area of excellence for several years and micro banking contributes to the acceleration of area coverage and profitability. Corporate and commercial financing will be our next priority considering that economic growth of most provinces in Indonesia is demonstrative of the growth of the real sector, as well as the rise of local entrepreneurs.

BNI Syariah is open to such opportunities, as having strategic partners can escalate our positioning in the banking industry. To do this the partner is expected to contribute expertise in areas where we have yet to acquire advanced know-how, so that the partnership builds towards synergies that complement each other. The scope for opportunities could be as wide as expanding into the ASEAN regional market, enhancing multinational corporate fund structure and financing, among others. It is of the utmost importance, however, that the strategic partner embraces the same values as we do and shares a common vision and mission.

Islamic banking in Indonesia stands to play a major role in the economy, since it is viewed not only as a system but also as a belief. We expect that gradually the consciousness of Islamic values will motivate society to adopt shariah financial systems as they pertain to banking, insurance and investment. Indonesia’s population is predominantly Muslim, and they could easily convert their transactions to Islamic banks once they come to realize that all the facilities are the same as those offered by conventional banks.

Nowadays shariah financial education is widely taught as part of the curriculum at many universities, and this will accelerate the adoption of an Islamic financial system. Within this dynamic situation, BNI Syariah strives to offer financial products and services that can meet the need for shariah compliant banking products supported by an advanced IT system, excellent service delivery and run by highly competent human capital. With the Hasanah concept, we have positioned ourselves as the Islamic bank that goes above and beyond in abiding by shariah values in every aspect of our business.