PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI is committed to expanding its banking service reach globally. With a focus on markets that have close ties with Indonesia and significant growth potential, the company inaugurated the BNI Representative Office in Sydney, Australia, and is also the first bank representative from Indonesia to open an office in Australia. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Pahala Mansury stated that the presence of the BNI representative office in Sydney will facilitate increased trade between Indonesia and Australia.
“Moreover, currently Indonesia and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners, both in trade and investment, especially in strategic sectors,” said Pahala, in a written statement, Thursday (5/9/2024).
Meanwhile, BNI President Director, Royke Tumilaar said that BNI does have an internationalization plan that aims to expand the reach of banking services and strengthen its global presence. In order to achieve this goal, BNI has established several overseas offices in various strategic countries and will continue to expand to potential countries that are Indonesia’s trading partners.
“Today is a historic moment for us, Bank Negara Indonesia, because with the inauguration of the Representative Office in Sydney, BNI is further strengthening its presence in the international arena,” said Royke.
There are several strategic reasons why BNI chose Sydney as the location for its new office for operations. First, Sydney is one of the main financial centers in the Asia-Pacific region, so by operating in Sydney, BNI can strengthen its presence in the international financial market and more easily access various global finances.
Second, Sydney is the business and economic center in Australia which offers many opportunities for business collaboration and investment. In addition, there are many potential business transactions carried out by Indonesian companies expanding their businesses in Australia and vice versa.
Third, the Indonesian diaspora community in Sydney is quite strong, around 42% of the Indonesian diaspora live in Sydney. Thus, BNI’s presence allows the company to better serve the banking needs of this community and strengthen relations with the Indonesian community in Australia.
The fourth reason, Australia offers access to new and different markets from those previously worked on by BNI, allowing BNI to more effectively map and explore in the region.
Royke believes that with the inauguration of this representative office, BNI will be increasingly able to provide the best service and strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia. BNI Sydney can help facilitate or provide advisory related to investment between the two countries by providing market information, introducing potential investors, and offering banking solutions that support direct investment in strategic sectors.
BNI Sydney can also function as an information center for Indonesian and Australian entrepreneurs who want to explore new business opportunities. By holding seminars, workshops, and networking sessions, BNI can bring together business actors from both countries to establish mutually beneficial cooperation.
September 5, 2024, detikFinance
(https://finance.detik.com/moneter/d-7526153/bni-resmikan-kantor-perwakilan-sydney-jadi-bank-ri-pertama-di-australia)