Thus, nonbanking companies could buy banks, so long as they abandoned one of those two activities.

In recent years it has sought to buy smaller banks.

But only a third of the respondents said they favored allowing industrial companies to buy commercial banks.

Even if the price to buy Asian banks keeps falling, it may be difficult to attract many foreign investors.

Today, they are the ones with the profits and the high-priced shares needed to buy other banks.

In banking there are many growing companies that want to buy other banks.

One element would be to permit industrial companies to buy banks.

"He is very good at buying and selling banks," said one Indonesian banker.

Permitting companies to buy banks, after all, is part of the Administration's banking reform plan.

He would also like to let other industries buy banks.