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tate workers’ insurance company PT Jamsostek plans to enter the financial sector, including banking, and healthcare services as part of the company’s expansion program, says a Jamsostek senior executive.

Jamsostek president director Hotbonar Sinaga said in Jakarta on Thursday the company would soon establish the investment firm, Jamsostek Investment Company (JIC), which would handle the company’s direct investments.

JIC will be established with an initial investment of Rp 1 trillion (US$107 million) and will manage all Jamsostek’s subsidiaries, he said.

Jamsostek, which at present places most funds collected from workers either in the form of savings or social and work insurance in bank deposits and portfolio investments such as bonds and equity, is also preparing to establish a reinsurance company to help mitigate the business risks of state companies, he said.

“The reinsurance firm will be established this year and will operate in cooperation with strategic partners,” he said during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commision IX overseeing population, health, employment and transmigration.

“In the health sector, we will acquire PT Nayaka, which provides healthcare services. At present, the company has a contract to provide healthcare services to Jamsostek members,” he said during the hearing.

“Jamsostek also plans to acquire PT Nakartrans, which provides recruitment services,” he added.
In the expansion of the banking sector, Hotbonar said the company was considering increasing its ownership in Bank Syariah Bukopin to 51 percent from the current share of 10 percent. He expected the bank could support Jamsostek’s programs to provide affordable house credits for its members.

In 2010, Jamsostek’s total investment is expected to increase by 8 percent to Rp 88.4 trillion ($9.45 billion). Jamsostek investment director Elvyn G. Massasya said the company would invest most of the funds on bonds. “We will place Rp 40 trillion or 46 percent of the total investment on bonds, mostly the government’s bonds,” Elvyn said.

According Elvyn, the government’s bonds carry fewer risks compared to corporate bonds.

Besides bonds, the company will also place about Rp 23.3 trillion of the investment funds in bank deposits, Rp 17.6 trillion in equity, Rp 4.9 trillion in mutual funds, Rp 785 billion in property and Rp 902 billion in direct investment. This year, the company expects to book investment returns totaling Rp 9.01 trillion from Rp 8.5 trillion last year. (ind)