Bank NTT Sets Short-Term Credit Deferrals for Flores Quake Victims

Labuan Bajo — Bank NTT has prepared two temporary credit relief schemes for customers affected by the Flores earthquake, offering short-term deferrals of principal or of both principal and interest, while the East Nusa Tenggara legislature presses for broader easing of loan burdens across financial institutions.

Bank NTT President Director Charlie Paulus said the bank had set up the programme in mid-August to assist debtors whose businesses or livelihoods were hit by the quake on Flores Island, but by Monday, 7 September 2026 no affected customer had officially applied for restructuring or deferment, according to reports quoting his remarks at the provincial legislature in Kupang.

Paulus explained that debtors may choose between a deferral of principal instalments only or a deferral of both principal and interest payments. He said the schemes would be adjusted to each customer’s circumstances and to the bank’s internal rules, and that Bank NTT was already identifying borrowers whose economic activities had been disrupted.

Two short-term deferment options

Recent coverage of Paulus’s statement describes two basic options prepared for quake-affected debtors.

Under the first option, customers can request a temporary postponement of principal repayments, with the duration set by the bank’s programme rules. One report from Detik Bali cites Paulus as saying this principal-only deferment was designed for up to one month. Other local outlets, including POS-KUPANG.COM and Flores-based media, have highlighted that Bank NTT was also considering longer principal deferrals, in some cases referring to potential extensions of several months.

The second option allows a deferral of both principal and interest instalments for a maximum of three months. Paulus was quoted as saying the bank could not extend a full suspension of all payments for too long, so the combined principal-and-interest deferment was capped at three months to balance relief for customers with the bank’s own risk management.

In media reports, Paulus did not spell out how unpaid interest would be treated after the deferment period, nor did he detail the specific documentation that borrowers must submit. The implementation period and exact terms appear to be subject to case-by-case assessment in line with Bank NTT’s credit policies.

Limited uptake so far

Despite the preparation of these schemes, coverage from Detik Bali and local NTT outlets notes that no debtor classified as a Flores earthquake victim had filed a formal application for the relief as of 7 September 2026. Paulus said the bank had identified roughly 52 to 53 affected borrowers across Flores, but they had not yet requested the facilities on offer.

Bank NTT has begun proactive data collection on customers hit by the disaster, aiming to match the type of relief to the severity of damage to each debtor’s business or household economy. The reports do not list which districts these borrowers are in or how many are tourism operators as opposed to other sectors.

Legislature urges wider credit relief

On 19 September 2026, the NTT Regional House of Representatives (DPRD NTT) urged the provincial government to coordinate with banks and other financial institutions to ease credit burdens for residents whose economic activities remain disrupted by the Flores earthquake, according to POS-KUPANG.COM. The call was delivered in a Budget Committee report during deliberations on the revised 2026 provincial budget.

DPRD NTT Chairwoman Emi Nomleni said the government should open communication with lenders so that quake-affected debtors can obtain relief tailored to each institution’s rules, mentioning state-owned banks, Bank NTT and other financial entities. Groups flagged as still struggling to service loans include micro, small and medium enterprises, farmers and fishers whose incomes have not returned to pre-quake levels.

The DPRD’s request is described as a political push rather than a binding directive, and the reporting does not confirm that all banks have adopted common schemes beyond Bank NTT’s own programme. In the same budget discussion, legislators also raised education-related assistance for students from affected areas studying outside the province, a measure separate from the credit relief proposals.

Both the bank’s credit schemes and the legislature’s appeal reflect ongoing efforts in East Nusa Tenggara to soften the economic impact of the Flores earthquake on households and small businesses, even as formal uptake of the available banking relief remains limited.

Sources

• POS-KUPANG.COM via Tribunnews – Bank NTT Siapkan Skema Penangguhan Kredit Nasabah Korban Gempa Flores
• Flores Pikiran-Rakyat – Cicilan Bisa Ditangguhkan hingga 6 Bulan, Ini Skema Bank NTT untuk Korban Gempa Flores
• Sergap.co.id – Debitur Terdampak Gempa Bisa Dapat Keringanan, Ini Dua Skema Bank NTT
• Detik Bali – Bank NTT Siapkan 2 Skema Penangguhan Kredit untuk Korban Gempa Flores
• Jawawa.id – Bank NTT Prepares Two Credit Relief Schemes for Flores Earthquake Victims