BANK OF CENTRAL ASIA POSTS 16.7% RISE IN NET PROFIT TO US$480MLN

JAKARTA, Mar 02, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- PT Bank Central Asia (BCA) posted a 16.7 per cent increase in net profit to Rp5.3 trillion (US$480 million) un-audited year-on-year in 2008 driven by a surge in interest income.

The country's largest private banks recorded a 17.7 per cent increase in interest income to Rp19.3 trillion with cost of fund rising only 2.98 per cent to Rp6.9 trillion.

The bank, which is controlled by Faralon Capital (USA), posted a sharp increase of 38.5 per cent in operating income to Rp3.6 trillion.

Its outstanding credit rose 37 per cent to Rp112.7 trillion with third party fund it held rising 10.8 per cent to Rp209.5 trillion, the newspaper Bisnis Indonesia said. (ANTARA)