IslamicFinance.de

Indonesia seems to push ahead with its plans to create a new $8bn Islamic bank that would mainly arise from the merger of three large domestic Shariah-compliant lenders. According to the chairman of Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority, Muliaman Hadad, the merger between the Islamic finance units of government-controlled Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Negara Indonesia, as well as a small unit of Bank Tabungan Negara, could happen as early as this year. The idea behind the mega-merger is to create an Islamic banking institution that would be able to face the growing foreign competition, as well as to boost the currently quite small market share of Islamic finance in the country. The new Islamic mega-bank would also be a catalyst for new products for retail customers and businesses.

Weak economic conditions scuppered plans for a tie-up of Malaysia’s CIMB Group Holdings Bhd with RHB Capital Bhd and Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB). It would have created Southeast Asia’s fourth-largest bank with assets of US$190 billion (RM692.63 billion). MBSB, a non-bank lender and the smallest of the three firms, is now studying a plan to convert itself into a full-fledged Islamic lender. It said last week it would convert existing conventional financial products into Islamic ones while introducing new ones to close the gap with competitors. Meanwhile, both CIMB and RHB Capital have established, domestically focused, Islamic units.

Iran's Bank Mellat is suing the British government for almost $4 billion in damages after the Supreme Court quashed sanctions imposed against it over alleged links to Tehran's nuclear programme. The lender wants compensation for the "significant pecuniary loss" and substantial reputational damage it sustained as a result of sanctions imposed in 2009, according to a claim filed in London's High Court. It claims the UK government also successfully lobbied other authorities to impose their own sanctions that ultimately caused and continue to cause the loss of profitable business, customers, banking relationships and dealing services.

Cameroon's Afriland First Bank has launched the Central African state's first Islamic window. Afriland, which has offered an Islamic deposit account since 2000 to help Muslims perform their pilgrimage to Mecca, will offer a range of common types of Islamic financing contracts. These include murabaha, musharaka, mudaraba and ijara. The lender developed the Islamic window with assistance from the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). Afriland, founded in 1987, now operates subsidiaries in Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Zambia, South Sudan, and Guinea.

In spite of the fact that more than 60 percent of Bank Asya's A-type shareholders have submitted the documents requested by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) that were the basis for recently taking control of the management of the bank, the watchdog agency has not given up that control, stoking claims that the management takeover was part of campaign of intimidation against the lender. Many believe that the government is not allowing the supposedly independent BDDK to give management control back to the partners. Even though the bank recorded a TL 875 million loss in 2014, its non-performing ratio is still one of the highest in the sector at about 18 percent.

Bank Asya has declared a commercial loss for corporate tax of TL 942 million ($383.44 million) and its "net term loss" for the fiscal period of Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014 was TL 875 million. The bad debts of the bank had increased to TL 2.1 billion in the first nine months of 2014 and now the fourth quarter is being examined. Further, whether loans exceeding TL 3 billion, which were granted in violation of Articles 50 and 51 of the Turkish Banking Code, have been repaid or not will also be revealed after the examination of the 2014 balance sheet as publicly traded companies and banks have to hand in their balance sheets to the KAP. Besides, there are various allegations about the asset management companies to which the bank has transferred its bad debt files.

Islamic International Rating Agency ( IIRA ) has reaffirmed the ratings of Jordan Islamic Bank ( JIB ) on the national scale at A+/A1 (jo) (Single A plus/A One). Ratings of JIB on the international scale have also been reaffirmed with the foreign currency rating at 'BB+/A3' (Double B Plus/A Three) and the local currency rating at 'BBB-/A3' (Triple B Minus /A Three). Outlook on the ratings is 'Stable'. Ratings are supported by JIB 's strong franchise and retail presence. Stability at Board and management level has reinforced the organizational culture and has allowed uninterrupted implementation of the bank's business strategy. Regional instability may however continue to be a significant challenge.

Bank Al-Maghrib, Morocco’s central bank, has reportedly received several requests for approval from Islamic banks from the Gulf countries. Al Baraka Bank (Bahrain), the Kuwait Investment Bank and the National Bank of Qatar are among those banks that wish to settle in Morocco. Some of these institutions have already established agreements with local credit institutions like Bahraini bank Al Baraka Bank. Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) has, meanwhile, last year signed a strategic partnership in the field of Islamic finance with Guidance Financial Group (GFG), a subsidiary of Barwa Qatari sovereign wealth fund. The Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank, however, has announced in late January that it has intended to develop its subsidiary dedicated to Islamic finance Dar Assafaa without an alliance with a foreign partner.

Turkey’s takeover of Bank Asya is making the government an even bigger player in the Islamic finance industry, just as state-owned lenders Ziraat Bank, Halkbank and Vakifbank prepare to start Shari’ah-compliant units to challenge the privately-owned banks. Vakifbank will get a $300 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank to help fund its Islamic finance arm, while Halkbank plans a capital raising to finance its unit. The initial idea as announced by officials was that the newly-established banks would not chase existing participation banks’ clients but instead focus on rural areas and increase the total pie. Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said in an October interview he considered the Islamic finance industry in Turkey to be “under-banked” and that the government looked favourably on the idea of issuing new licenses to lenders.

Al Salam Bank Bahrain has reported total comprehensive income for 2014 down 52 per cent at BHD 16.68 million. The bank showed a 79.6 per cent increase in total assets to BHD 1.96 billion while liabilities rose 95 per cent to BHD 1.6 billion. Income from financing contracts was up from BHD 26.1 million to AED 51.5 million while total operating income was up 76 per cent to BHD 46 million. However, earnings per share slipped from 8.3 to 8 fils. Al Salam Bank Bahrain reported a jump in operating expenses from BHD 11.4 million to BHD 26.4 million.

The Turkish banking regulator's decision to take over the management of Bank Asya did not affect the country's unsolicited sovereign credit ratings, Standard & Poor's announced Feb. 6. Turkey's current credit rating stands at BB+ with a "negative" outlook. The rating agency sees this decision as an isolated incident and not a harbinger of systemic distress in the banking sector or a determined politicization of Turkey's regulatory institutions, S&P said in the statement. Bank Asya's relatively small size makes it rather unlikely that there could be any contagion effects, it added. Following the Bank Asya takeover, the United States had called on all governments to ensure the monitoring of corporate and financial activity is done in line with international legal standards.

Turkey’s government seized control of Islamic lender Bank Asya and dismissed its executives, marking the latest extraordinary step in a highly politicized monthslong battle over the company. Late on Tuesday, the country’s banking watchdog transferred 63% of Bank Asya’s preferred shares into the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, which answers directly to the prime minister. The fund then replaced the bank’s leadership with a new chief executive and board of directors. The bank’s shares, which have been allowed to trade only one houreach afternoon since September, dropped 1 kurus to 60 kurus (25 cents), a record low, and then rose to 63 kurus as Istanbul’s market closed.

The takeover of Bank Asya by the Turkish Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) is entirely legal and judicial, but not political, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu said on late Feb. 4. Many people continued to show their support to the bank by putting money into their bank accounts Feb. 5, although some others were reported closing their bank accounts. TMSF seized some 63 percent of Bank Asya shortly after the banking watchdog (BDDK) ruled in favor of its seizure on late Feb. 3. The BDDK said in a statement on its website that it seized the bank “because the institution has not presented a partnership structure that is transparent and open enough to allow for effective regulation.” The watchdog appointed a new board of directors immediately after the seizure.

Turkey's largest Islamic lender, Bank Asya, is demanding that the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) return the bank's rights to control its management following strong indications that the fund's decision to take over control of the lender's board has no legal basis and is politically motivated. Turkey's banking watchdog, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), handed management control of 63 percent of the privileged shares of Bank Asya over to state savings funds on Tuesday, citing a lack of certain key documents as the reason why the bank cannot maintain its operations. The bank's shareholders are currently preparing to provide the watchdog with the required documents and the bank has separately taken legal action to revoke Tuesday's intervention.

The Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank plans to transform its subsidiary Dar Assafaa into an Islamic financial institution according to the group’s CEO Kettani. In this context, the banking group belonging to the Royal Holding SNI plans to increase the capital of Dar Assafaa to $ 18.40 million, and will inject more investments according to the development of this new market in Morocco. Attijariwafa Bank will develop its own participatory bank without foreign partnership, unlike Banque Centrale Populaire and BMCE Bank which have opted for the creation of joint ventures with foreign Islamic banks. Moreover, the institution will expand its range of products.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on Wednesday a banking regulators' decision to take over management at Islamic lender Bank Asya ends a period of speculation and restores a safer environment. Zeybekci also told a news conference broadcast live on TRT television that it was "unfair" Turkey had to pay a high cost due to its interest rates and accused the central bank of lagging the market after the bank decided against holding an extraordinary policy meeting to cut rates.

UK regulators have accepted European Islamic Investment Bank's application to vary its regulatory permissions, meaning it is now an exempt capital adequacy directive (CAD) investment firm. Last September, European Islamic Investment Bank had concluded that the scope of its UK regulatory permissions was in excess of requirements, and began talks with regulators to "vary its regulatory permissions" to enable it to focus on its core strategy. At the time it anticipated that the move would involve giving up its deposit-taking licence. The European Islamic Investment Bank is regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority.

The Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has seized the Gülenist bank, Bank Asya, and shares belonging to 122 real and judicial shareholders of the bank, including Kaynak Holding, Ortado?u Tekstil and Forum ?n?aat, have been transferred to the TMSF. Some of the shareholders that have been deprived of their shareholding rights are known to be financers of the Gülenist Movement, such as Naci Tosun (Kaynak Holding's affiliate Sürat Bas?m), Ali Akbulut (Ortado?u Tekstil) and Forum ?n?aat. Officials said that the decision was not a political one but mainly due to Bank Asya's negligence to meet the technical requirements.

A midnight police raid on the headquarters of Turkey's largest Islamic bank after a banking watchdog's decision to take over the bank's management on Tuesday lacks legal grounds and will likely stir further speculation in financial markets, pundits warned. The bank vowed to take legal action in response to Tuesday's decision. Economists highlighted on Wednesday that intervention in the bank's board can only be temporary, because the bank cannot technically be seized unless depositors withdraw their money from Bank Asya. Early on Wednesday, loyal Bank Asya clients flocked to branches across Turkey to shore up the Islamic lender with new deposits.

The shareholders of Jahangir Siddiqui & Co Ltd, the flagship company of JS Group, in their general meeting held on February 2, have unanimously approved to invest up to Rs1.669 billion in the Bank Islami Pakistan Limited. On December 30, 2014, the Board of Directors of Bank Islami Pakistan Limited had approved to issue ordinary shares of Rs10/- each by way of rights to its members to raise the paid up capital of the bank by Rs4.320 billion.