Bank Mandiri Set To Maintain 5.5 Pct NIM In 2014

Jakarta, Jan 13 (Antara) - The country`s largest lender in assets Bank Mandiri said it hope to maintain a net interest margin (NIM) of 5.5 percent this year the same as in the past years. "We hope we could maintain the level of NIM as was in 2013," Director for Finance & Strategy of the state bank Pahala N Mansury said here on Monday. Pahala said Bank Indonesia is expected to keep the relatively high benchmark interest rate (BI rate) of 7.5 percent in the first half of 2014. However, the condition allows the central bank to cut the BI rate in the latter half of the year, he predicted. He said in the second half of the year, the cost of fund is also expected to decline to follow the lowering of the BI rate. In addition, relaxation is also expected in the the competition in attracting third party funds among banks, he said. "This would allow us to maintain the same NIM as in 2013," he said In September, 2013 , the bank recorded a 5.41 percent NIM , up to 5.5 percent in December.