JAKARTA, Jan 29 — Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), which is eyeing raising its stake to a majority in Indonesian lender BTPN, has proposed to merge its subsidiary in the South-east Asian nation with the mid-sized bank.

PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional (BTPN) said today it was conducting an assessment and technical preparation on a proposal by SMFG to merge with PT Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Indonesia.

SMFG owns 40 per cent of PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional (BTPN) and the Japanese lender’s CEO said last month the company is keen to raise its stake to a majority in BTPN if Indonesian authorities permit.

Some analysts said the move could ultimately result in a higher stake for SMFG in BTPN. “There’s a possibility that the merger would trigger a tender offer for BTPN’s shares,” said Henry Wibowo, an analyst with broker Bahana Securities in Jakarta.

An SMFG spokesman confirmed it had asked BTPN to consider a merger with its local unit in which the Japanese lender owns 98.5 per cent. The combined assets of the two would amount to around US$12 billion (RM46.6 billion).

BTPN said in a statement to the Indonesia Stock Exchange that a “merger is in line with the direction of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in order to consolidate the financial sector which is expected to improve efficiency and maximise the synergy of the financial sector in Indonesia.”

Indonesian authorities are pushing for a consolidation among the nation’s 120 banks to boost the sector’s efficiency.

Details of a merger, including the value of any transaction, were yet to be decided, Anika Faisal, a director at BTPN, told reporters in Jakarta.

“About the change in shareholders’ (portions), it is yet to be decided, but it is very possible that share ownership would be diluted,” Faisal said.

The SMFG spokesman said a merger would be complimentary given BTPN’s strength in retail business and SMFG’s strength in wholesale. The spokesman said nothing had been decided on raising SMFG’s stake in BTPN.

After the announcement, shares of BTPN on Monday extended earlier gains to end the day up 25 per cent.

Faisal said that there was no plan to sell shares under a merger.

BTPN had total consolidated assets of 91.37 trillion rupiah by the end of September, while Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Indonesia had 68.58 trillion rupiah.

BTPN would discuss the merger plan with Indonesia’s financial regulator (OJK), Faisal said. It would require due diligence and a shareholders’ meeting for approval, she said.

A banking supervisory official at OJK said it had not yet received a request for a merger. — Reuters