Bandung, 14 September 2016 – PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional Tbk (BTPN) and the daily newspaper Bisnis Indonesia had the opportunity once again to host the Entrepreneur Networking Forum. The discussion, under the theme of 2017 Economic Outlook: Potential and Optimism, featured as speakers the economist Raden Pardede and Deputy President Director of BTPN Ongki W. Dana. The event was moderated by Ahmad Djauhar, Vice General Manager at Bisnis Indonesia Daily.
In his presentation, Raden Pardede said that economic conditions in 2017 will be full of challenges. Using a metaphor, he explained that the economy still faces serious headwinds.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that the global economy has been unable to make a quick recovery. Even though the American economy has started to show signs of life, the economies of Europe and Japan are still considered sluggish and stagnant. Meanwhile, global demand for goods and trading volumes remain weak on the back of the ongoing Chinese economic slowdown.
On the internal front, fiscal consolidation is still required to keep the deficit in the 2.5% of GDP range, without sacrificing on capital and development expenditure, while economizing and the streamlining of routine expenditure are also still necessary.
The structural policies designed in the economic packages have yet to yield immediate results, but results are expected to begin to be seen in the second half of 2017, as long as there is improvement in the implementation of these policies on the ground level. “Economic growth is estimated at between 5% - 5.3%. This would represent a fairly good achievement compared to the economic growth of many other countries in the world,” said Raden.
Raden went on to explain that the economic sectors with potential for improvement included crude palm oil and export-oriented agricultural commodities, infrastructure - especially electricity and toll roads, manufacturing and online-related trade. “Certain aspects of the property sector have also started to recover as a result of the positive impact of the funds repatriation, the food sector is growing normally while mining will remain stagnant,” he continued.
In response to the assessments of Raden Pardede, Deputy President Director of BTPN Ongki W. Dana said that as a bank with a vision of changing the lives of millions of people in Indonesia, BTPN is committed to become a partner in fostering the businesses of its customers while also taking advantage of any existing economic opportunities. Ongki pointed out that one way in which this commitment had been demonstrated was through the launch of BTPN Mitra Bisnis, a business unit designed specifically to cater for the various needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by means of reliable financial solutions, opening of greater access to markets, and capacity development for customers.
“BTPN Mitra Bisnis is committed to addressing the numerous things that our customers need in order to develop their businesses. In addition to getting reliable financial solutions, in conjunction with BTPN Mitra Bisnis customers enjoy the opportunity of more extensive market access, and the chance to develop their capacities in doing business,” enthused Ongki.
As a sign of its genuine commitment to become the best partner for its customers, BTPN Mitra Bisnis offers a wide range of services, including an Overdraft Facility, Demand Loans, Term Loans as well as Supply Chain Financing.
Ongki expressed his hope that, with services that can be tailored to the needs of individual customers, BTPN Mitra Bisnis will be a partner that helps to ensure the development and success of SMEs.
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