DBS INDONESIA COMMITTED TO INDONESIA MARKET; EXPANSION PLANS
INTACT
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REGRETS LOSING PRIMARY DEALER LICENCE
JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, 3 September 2007 - PT Bank DBS Indonesia (DBSI)
said today it regretted the loss of its primary dealer licence, but stressed that this has no
impact on banking operations, which remain strong and in expansion mode.
"We are very disappointed that DBSI's primary dealer licence was revoked. While
the impact on earnings is not material, we regard the loss as a matter of utmost concern,"
said Scott Armstrong, President Director of DBS Indonesia.
He added that the loss does not reflect any underlying weakness in DBSI's banking
operations, and its banking licence remains intact. "As an Asia banking specialist, we are
fully committed to growing businesses in Indonesia to better serve customers."
Since the start of this year, DBSI has opened 5 new branches, extending its
footprint to 13 branches and sub-branches in 7 cities: Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang,
Surabaya, Medan, Pekanbaru and Makassar. Further expansion plans remain on track.
DBSI was one of 15 banks and four securities companies granted a primary
dealership licence earlier this year. This allowed it to participate in the Ministry of
Finance's bond auctions.
On 29 August 2007, however, the Ministry withdrew DBSI's primary dealership,
citing the bank's inability to fulfil licensing requirements in spite of three reminder letters in
the past year.
DBSI said today that it had initiated necessary actions to meet its obligations as a
primary dealer. Unfortunately, its licence was revoked before these rectification measures
were fully in place.
"We will undertake rectification as necessary and continue our discussions with
MOF. We are confident of demonstrating that we are fully committed to the Indonesian
market. Over time, we believe that DBSI will be re-instated as a primary dealer," said Mr
Armstrong.
About PT Bank DBS Indonesia
PT Bank DBS Indonesia, a 99%-owned subsidiary of DBS Bank Ltd, operates in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan and Pekanbaru, providing a full range of banking services including corporate lending, trade financing, syndicated finance, foreign exchange and priority banking. It has a significant presence in the large corporate and mediumsized enterprise market. In August 2005 PT Bank DBS Indonesia entered the consumer banking business by launching DBS Treasures priority banking services which provide a full range of wealth management services to the mass affluent segment.
About DBS
Headquartered in Singapore, DBS is one of the largest financial services groups in Asia with operations in 15 markets. The largest bank in Singapore as measured by assets, and a leading bank in Hong Kong, DBS' "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. DBS has leading positions in corporate, SME and consumer banking, treasury and markets, wealth management, securities brokerage, equity and debt fund raising. Beyond the anchor markets of Singapore and Hong Kong, DBS serves corporate, institutional and retail customers through its operations in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. More information about DBS Group Holdings and DBS Bank can be obtained from our website www.dbs.com.