Higher interest rates could bleed banks.

JAKARTA (JP): The country's major banks expressed fear on Tuesday that they could suffer financial bleeding again due to negative spread problem if domestic interest rates continued to increase.

In a working meeting with the House of Representatives commission IX on state budget and finance, bankers called on the government and the central bank to help resolve the problem.

Some legislators feared that the problem could lead to a worst scenario of a second banking crisis if the rising interest rate continued unchecked.

"If the SBI interest rate continues to move upward ... it has the potential to create negative spread or losses to BRI," said president of the …