Thursday, 11 October 2012

BKDI AND RUPIAH STABILIZATION

Bank Indonesia stated their commitment to promote use of forex hedging in the domestic financial market. Among them was to release a new regulation related to that matter. The implementation of legal protection means assurance for the banking sector in protecting forex exposure.  
    
In that new policy, Bl would permit banks to exercise hedging with non-residence with period less than three months. This enabled investors to maneuver more freely in doing hedging for investment. It was expected that this new policy would be put in effect this August this new regulation would enhance promotion of the derivative market in Indonesia.

The application of the hedging instrument brought betterment to risk management of exchange rate value. The effect was the Moneymarket would be deeper. Today the moneymarket at home was more signified by sport transactions while derivative transactions was very limited.

For information, the procedure of hedging was regulated by the Bank Indonesia Regulation (PBI) no. 7/14/PBI/2005 on Restriction of Rupiah transaction and extension of forex credit by banks. But in that regulation BI restricted derivative transaction of forex non residence exchange at the maximum of USD 1 million with shortest period of three month.

Beside period (tenor) shortening, previously BI had launched the Regulation of Export Yield Forex Reserves (DHE) which obliged exporters to send their export yield money to domestic banks. BI also released Regulation of Forex Liquidity through Term Deposit (TD) of forex. This was the best wayout for banks who had excessive forex.

By the rules of forex main hedging, in fact the Central Bank wished to return management of forex liquidity to banks. So in the future BI did not have to take all the trouble of absorbing excess of forex liquidity. Certainly this would save BI’s monetary expenses. As known, BI was releasing Term Deposit (TD) for the time being. The objective was to prevent banks from hedging excess of forex abroad the way it had always been so the cuirveline of currency exchange rate value could be more stabilized.

The banking circle responded positively the new BI regulation. They actually needed hedging to mitigate the bursting risk caused by fluctuation of exchange rate value. The need for hedging based on shortest to longest period was because the forex fund entering the bank were not all on term basis.

The formation of forex and hedging instrument was needed for national economic stability. But to expect the market to grow might take a long time. Publication and information to the people about and their function to jack up demand was needed. If demand were low, banks were reluctant to offer products because the cost would be high.

In fact stabilization of Rupiah exchange rate could be done through transactions run by PT Bursa Komoditi dan Derivatif Indonesia (BKDI). This body was officially founded on March 31, 2010 in Jakarta. BKDI themselves had started to operate by soft launch on June 23, 2009 by Regent’s permit no. 26/Bapebti/KP/6/2009. The products being offered included Soft Agri (CPO, coffee, and Cocoa), metal (gold and tin and energy (coal, and crude oil).

The role of BKDI was expected to promote performance of futures market in Indonesia, especially as hedging for market players who were vulnerable to fluctuating commodity process.

In addition to that the role of BDKI was also expected to promote Indonesia as reference base of world’s commodity prices which has always been determined overseas. In line with that producers, including farmers needed no longer go abroad to check commodity prices for the commodities they produce. BKDI would have their own information source.

Today BKDI had four type of members banely: Broker Member, Company Trader Member, Company Trader Member, Remote Trader and Individual Trader Member. What was interesting currencies being traded through futures contract in BKDI.

The foreign currencies were traded in the currency market with support of clearing body PT Identrust Security International (ISI). With foreign currencies being traded in BKDI it was expected that Indonesia’s currency market would be more transparent, competitive and safe for all parties.

Launching of this product was done after BKDI obtained permit from The Supervisory Body of Futures Commodity Trading (Bapebti) on June 2012 last. According to Bappepti, trading of currency contract at BKDI could enable hedging to businesspeople. Contract of foreign currency could enhance multilateral transactions at the domestic commodity market.

Entry of foreign currency to the commodity market was expected to ease Rupiah fluctuation and increase forex reserve from export record of BKDI had it in that transaction of foreign currency baing traded daily, one lot was worth USD 100,000,-.

So it can be imagined if everyday there was two billion USD belonging to Indonesians being transacted abroad. If the fund could be drawn to BKDI futures market, then national forex reserves would be safeguarded. The vast amount of foreign currency flowing out bound was because the return was more profitable.

The way it had been, the instrument for forex reserve management was more reliant on the banking sector. At the commodity market, based on the principle of high risk, high return, forex reserve owners were more attracted. Futures foreign currency contract could support BI’s policy to draw DHE to Indonesia.

The way it had been very often the Government was running out of USD because of too much outflow of hot money, while at home forex was needed for paying import. This step was also a new era for the future trading industry of commodities.

Over the period of May BKDI booked transaction volume of 86,013 lots. Data of BKDI had it that the biggest transaction in May was crude palm oil (CPO) which reached 70,602 lots of higher compared to April at 66,325 lots.

Meanwhile transaction of Gold UD at BKDI in May was 14,333 lot, a downturn against volume of April amounting to 17,994 lots. Transaction volume of Olein in May also recorded downturn from 141 lots in April to become 80 lot. Meanwhile transaction volume of tin increased slightly to 23 lot from the previous 19 lots.

In regard to forex transaction, with launching of forex contract at BKDI, this instrument could be used as one of the alternative form of investment instrument of hedging for businesspeople. The benefits of foreign currency contract at BKDI was open opportunities for the businessworld as well as banks to manage the forex they owned so it had the potential to yield profit from the fluctuating exchange rate value of foreign currencies.

Lately transaction of commodities and forex were increasing significantly. Increase of transaction volume increasing significantly. Increase of transaction volume at BKDI in line with the growing importance of futures market for businesspeople in doing hedging. Besides, the future market was one of the safest investment medium for the public. 


Business News - August 13, 2012

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