Maybank Indonesia shifts to selective lending

The listed bank wants to ensure growth remains disciplined and resilient.

PT Bank Maybank Indonesia Tbk is tightening its lending strategy after completing its three-year transformation programme, pivoting toward more selective credit growth to strengthen its balance sheet and improve earnings quality.

The shift, outlined at a February news briefing in Jakarta, marks a move away from volume-driven expansion toward a more disciplined, relationship-focused approach.

“Throughout 2025, we focused on improving the quality and sustainability of our income while maintaining disciplined cost management and strong risk controls,” President-Director Steffano Ridwan said in an emailed reply to questions.

The strategy began with a reset of the publicly listed bank’s corporate portfolio. Last year, Maybank Indonesia, owned by Malaysia’s Malayan Banking Berhad, trimmed parts of its global banking exposure, redeploying capital to segments with stronger client connectivity and transaction flows.

Total loans fell 3.1% year on year to $7.35b, signalling a more measured pace of growth.

“Our focus is on building stronger, long-term relationships with customers whilst ensuring our growth remains disciplined and resilient,” Ridwan said.

The bank is prioritising big domestic companies and commercial clients, where lending can be bundled with transaction banking, treasury, and wealth services to deepen revenue streams.

On the funding side, the lender is steering customers toward operational accounts to boost low-cost deposits. Its current and savings account ratio rose to 57.6% at end-2025 from 52.9% a year earlier, supported by higher transactional activity.

Digital platforms have underpinned this shift. Corporate clients processed more than five million online banking transactions, whilst retail transactions exceeded 30 million last year. Ridwan said digital engagement is central to the bank’s relationship-driven model.

At the same time, Maybank Indonesia is increasing exposure to sustainable sectors. Financing tied to environmentally focused projects reached ñ $1.26b in 2025, driven by growth in green transport and renewable energy.

The portfolio shift has also improved asset quality, with the gross bad loan ratio declining to 2.2% from 2.7% a year earlier.

With its transformation programme completed, the bank is aligning with its group’s long-term strategy focused on disciplined growth, digital capability expansion, and sustainable finance across the region.