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T Bank OCBC NISP, one of Indonesia’s midsize banks controlled by Singapore-based banking giant OCBC Bank, is assessing between five and 10 financing companies as the bank’s acquisition targets.

Speaking to reporters about the acquisition plan, OCBC NISP’s president director Parwati Surjaudaja said in Jakarta on Friday that most of the financing companies which were under evaluation were engaged in providing loans for car and motorcycle purchases.

He said that the acquisition which had been originally planned since last year was part of the bank’s expansion plan.

“However, if we look at the progress, [the acquisition] is unlikely to occur this year,” she told reporters during the bank’s breaking of the fast event on Friday evening, adding that growing through inorganic strategies, such as acquisitions, remained “one of the bank’s expansion plans”

OCBC NISP would prepare Rp 500 billion (US$53 million) to Rp 1 trillion to finance the transaction, according to Parwati. “However, the amount could be more,” she said.

OCBC NISP disbursed Rp 47.7 trillion in loans over the first half of this year, 39 percent higher compared to the same period in 2011. About 40 percent of the loans were extended to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Parwati said.

OCBC NISP posted Rp 407 billion in net income during the first half of this year, 30 percent higher than the lender booked in the same period last year.

Over the January-to-June period, OCBC NISP net interest income reached Rp 1.2 trillion, or 13 percent higher than the same period in 2011, while non-interest income, which includes fee-based income, soared by 43 percent compared to the bank’s figure last year of Rp 409 billion.

OCBC NISP’s first half report also revealed that its total assets saw a 30 percent increase to Rp 68 trillion.

Bank DKI’s president director Eko Budiwiyono said in Jakarta on Friday that the bank planned to open a branch in Surabaya this month, which would become the bank’s first branch outside Jakarta.

“Surabaya is the second-largest city after Jakarta. We would like to attract new customers, especially businesspeople, as well as to cater to current clients living in Surabaya,” Eko told reporters during the breaking of the fast gathering.

Bank DKI plans to open 30 new branches by the end of this year, including in Bandung, West Java; Medan, North Sumatra and Surakarta, Central Java. It currently operates 208 offices and branches.

The bank will also establish 50 micro-credit outlets to target micro business entrepreneurs at various Jakarta markets this year to boost income. The first outlet will open in September.

Bank DKI’s pretax profit jumped to Rp 252 billion during the first semester of 2012, up 20.02 percent from the same period last year. The bank recorded Rp 25.2 trillion in total assets between January and June 2012, a 39.17 percent surge from a year before.

The bank’s assets rose significantly due to an increase in its third party deposits, which grew by 43.11 percent to Rp 20.35 trillion during the first half of this year.

Lending also grew 37.27 percent to Rp 12.84 trillion in the first six months of 2012. The bank aims to reach Rp 15.11 trillion in lending by the end of this year. (sat/tas)