| Regional Affairs
Taiwan Throws Weight Behind Indonesian Govt, Set to Invest Asia News Network 22nd Jan 2015
Taiwanese firms are keen to seize opportunities offered by Indonesia’s new economic policies, paving the way to further tighten bilateral ties between both countries. According to Taiwanese trade officials, priorities for investment will be laid out in the information and communication technology industry and in the energy, automotive, agriculture, fisheries and oil-related industries, according to Taiwanese trade officials.
National Affairs
Indonesia Suggests State Firms to be Led by More World-Class CEOs Global Post 22nd Jan 2015
Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) Suryo Bambang Sulistyo said the country's state companies need to be led by more CEOs with world-class quality to boost their global competitiveness.
Jokowi Inaugurates Politician-Heavy Advisory Board The Jakarta Globe 22nd Jan 2015
President Joko Widodo on Monday officially inaugurated the nine members of his Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres). The board consists of senior figures from the military and the religious establishment, but is dominated by politicians. The new presidential advisers are former Education Minister Abdul Malik Fadjar; Hasyim Muzadi of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama; Jan Darmadi of the National Democrat (NasDem) Party; retired general Yusuf Kartanegara of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI); Lion Air chief executive Rusdi Kirana, who is also a deputy chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB); former People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Sidarto Danusubroto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Strugle (PDI-P); Sri Adiningsih, an economic adviser to the PDI-P; former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret.) Subagyo H.S. of the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura); and Suharso Monoarfa of the United Development Party (PPP).
Wantimpres Appointments Fail to Impress The Jakarta Globe 22nd Jan 2015
President Joko Widodo further abandoned his campaign promises in favor of horse-trading politics when he inaugurated nine members of the Presidential Advisory Board on Monday, the majority of them known more for their political affiliations than their professional expertise. Six of the people recruited to the board — known as Wantimpres — are senior members of political parties forming part of the pro-government Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH).
Minister Warns of Foreigners Owning Land in Border Areas The Jakarta Post 21st Jan 2015
Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Jafar says the government will take measures to stop foreigners owning land in border areas, especially via arranging marriages with local women as a means to gain control over the land.
KPK Expects to Charge More Lawmakers with Graft The Jakarta Post 21st Jan 2015
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stepped up its investigation into a bribery case surrounding the discussion of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry budget at the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The anti-graft body has charged the ministry’s secretary-general, Waryono Karno, with corruption for allegedly collecting illegal payments from agencies under the supervision of the ministry, including the former Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) and state-owned oil and gas company PT. Pertamina.
Indonesia retains direct elections for regional leaders BBC 20th Jan 2015
Indonesia's new parliament has voted to retain direct elections for regional governors and mayors, reversing its predecessor's decision. In September 2014, the previous parliament moved to scrap local elections, prompting a public outcry. Among those who decried the decision were President Joko Widodo, who was a former directly-elected governor, and former leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Before he stepped down, Mr Yudhoyono issued a decree to overturn the move. Parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday to uphold that decree. Local elections are now mandated under Indonesian law, and polls in more than 200 places will be organised this year, reported The Jakarta Post.
Lawmakers Support Jokowi’s Budget The Jakarta Post 20th Jan 2015
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is likely to pass his latest political hurdle — the deliberation of the revised 2015 state budget — after lawmakers openly declared their support for the infrastructure-focused budget and the new fuel subsidy system. Legislators from the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, which controls the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, also claimed they had no intention to obstruct the deliberation of the budget, the approval of which would be crucial for the President’s economic development plan.
Australia will keep diplomats in Indonesia for now: Julie Bishop The Sydney Morning Herald 19th Jan 2015
Australia has no plans to withdraw its diplomats from Indonesia but Foreign Minister Julie Bishop would not speculate on what might happen "should the Indonesian government carry through its threat to execute" two members of the Bali Nine. The Foreign Minister said there had been dozens of meetings between the two countries since the Bali Nine were sentenced and that it was "necessary" Australia keep its diplomats in the country to lobby the Indonesian government. Brazil and the Netherlands have recalled their ambassadors from Jakarta in protest after two of their citizens were executed at the weekend for drug offences, along with four others. The deaths by firing squad have heightened concerns for Australians Myuran Sukumaran and his fellow heroin smuggler, Andrew Chan, who are currently on death row in Indonesia.
Indonesian Parliament Revisiting Local Direct Elections The Wall Street Journal 19th Jan 2015
Indonesia’s parliament appears to be leaning toward reintroducing direct elections at the local level. The previous parliament did away with such elections, unleashing huge popular uproar. The president at the time, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, issued a decree in October to reverse the move. But it must be approved by the parliament to take effect. Most of the 10 political parties elected in the parliament that came in in October have expressed support of the decree. “The majority of the factions in the parliament accept the decree, but some of them proposed some revisions,” said Riza Patria, a deputy chairman of a commission in the parliament tasked with revisiting the decree. A full vote by parliament could come as early as Tuesday. But many analysts expect the parliament will delay the vote to provide time for revisions. These could include changes in requirements for candidate nomination that local election agencies had been required to follow.
ASEAN
West Sulawesi to Welcome AEC Program ANTARA 22nd Jan 2015
The West Sulawesi government is making every effort to strengthen the industrial sectors that utilize local natural resources to welcome the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015, according to West Sulawesi Deputy Governor Aladin S. Mengga.
Customs
Phone imports threatened by new measure The Jakarta Post 22nd Jan 2015
Starting next year, all cell phones imported for distribution in Indonesia will be obliged to use at least some locally made components in a bid to spur the development of the domestic industry. Industry Ministry director for electronics and telematics industry Ignatius Warsito said on Wednesday that the government would go ahead with the plan, although many cell phone importers oppose it. Cell phone importers must either set up their own manufacturing facilities or hand over assembly to local original equipment manufacturers (OEM), according to Trade Minister Regulation No. 38 issued in 2013. Warsito said the government would be strict in implementing the rule and revoke the import license of any importer who failed to comply. “This measure aims to help boost the production capacity of our local cell phone industry [...] Our target is for half of [annual] cell phone demand to be produced locally by 2017,” he told reporters at his office.
Indonesia warns Freeport may lose export permit if smelter delayed Reuters 20th Jan 2015
Freeport-McMoRan Inc could lose its permit to export copper concentrate from its massive Indonesian mine in West Papua, the country's mining minister said on Tuesday, unless it can show progress in developing a new copper smelter this week. "Freeport hasn't confirmed the location," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said told Reuters via text message, referring to the site for the proposed $2.3-billion copper smelter, a prerequisite for the firm to be eligible to export. "This is not what we agreed on." Under an agreement the Arizona-based miner signed in July, Freeport has until Jan. 25 to complete the land acquisition for the 300,000-tonne-capacity smelter, the minister said.
Letters of Credit Required for Indonesia Commodities Exporters ASEAN Briefing 19th Jan 2015
A Rule from Indonesia’s Trade Ministry requires commodity exporters to use letters of credit (L/C) in overseas shipments from April 1, 2015. The new rule will effect coal, oil and gas, palm and palm-kernel oil, and minerals including tin. According to the Ministry, these commodities together accounted for over 41 percent of Indonesia’s exports from 2009 to 2013, averaging $US71 billion per year. A letter of credit is a bank-issued document guaranteeing that payment will be received by a seller so long as delivery conditions have been met. A 2009 policy requiring L/C for international trade activities was lifted in 2010.
Defense & Security
Indonesia's air force to bolster presence in South China Sea Asia One 16th Jan 2015
Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko said he expected the Air Force to contribute more to operations. "In the future, I hope the Indonesian Air Force will be able to boost our sovereignty, especially in the South China Sea," Moeldoko said during the inauguration of new Air Force Chief Vice Marshal Agus Supriyatna at the Halim Perdana Kusuma Military Base in Jakarta on Thursday. The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea bordering China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines and Taiwan. Because of this geography, jurisdiction over the waters is complicated and sensitive. There has been a series of disputes over islands claimed by China and other countries. Moeldoko said competition in the South China Sea was getting tougher and that the Air Force had the important task of securing Indonesia's air territory and trading lines in the area.
French Shipyard OCEA Launched the OSV 190 Offshore Survey Vessel for Indonesian Navy Defense Studies 22nd Jan 2015
In December 2014, OCEA, based in Les Sables d'Olonne on the Western coast of France, launched the first of two "OSV 190 SC-WB" Offshore Survey Vessels ordered by Indonesia for the navy (TNI-AL). OCEA won the contract among 9 bidders (3 from South Korea, 1 from Germany, 4 from France including OCEA and 1 from the Netherlands) following an international tender launched in 2011. After analyzing the responses offered by each candidates, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense down-selected 3 companies to participate in the final negotiations: 2 from South Korea and OCEA, the only candidate to offer an aluminum vessel.
Support for "Islamic State" in Indonesian Prisons IPAC 19th Jan 2015
“Islamic State” (IS) supporters are a minority among convicted terrorists in Indonesian prisons, and some of those who have sworn allegiance have done so for reasons that have nothing to do with ideology or religion. Relatively simple interventions by prison staff may be thus able to limit the influence of hardline ideologues. Support for “Islamic State” in Indonesian Prisons, the latest IPAC report, examines how alliances for and against IS developed among inmates, using two prisons as case studies. “Support for IS in Indonesian prisons appears to be falling, not rising, as prison staff identify the less ideologically committed who can be pulled away,” says Sidney Jones, IPAC director. “The need to strengthen supervision of pro-IS militants remains urgent, however, as some are facilitating travel to Syria from behind bars.”
Energy
Freeport Indonesia Signs Preliminary Deal to Build East Java Copper Smelter NASDAQ 22nd Jan 2015
PT. Freeport Indonesia Thursday signed a preliminary agreement with PT. Petrokimia Gresik to build a copper smelter in East Java. The move came after Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said said Tuesday the government would ban the local unit of mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc. from shipping copper concentrate outside Indonesia after Jan. 24.
Govt to Review Pertamina's Upstream Business ANTARA 22nd Jan 2015
The Indonesian government will review the upstream business of state oil and gas company Pertamina following the weakening global oil prices, according to Chief Economic Minister Sofyan A. Djalil.
PT. LEN Prepares to Manufacture Solar Cells in Subang The Jakarta Post 22nd Jan 2015
State-owned electronics maker PT. LEN Industri was preparing to build a solar cell factory at the LEN Technopark in Subang regency, West Java, President Director Abraham Mose said on Thursday.
Indonesia Coal Miners Seek Output Cuts as Prices Hit 8-Year Low Bloomberg 21st Jan 2015
Indonesian coal miners say the government should cut this year’s production target by at least 12 percent to boost global prices that have fallen to the lowest in almost eight years. Indonesia already plans to produce 425 million tons of coal this year and targets exports of 333 million tons.
Russia ready to help Indonesia develop nuclear power plants Eco-Business 20th Jan 2015
Russia is ready to assist Indonesia in developing nuclear power plants for development and peace purposes, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzin said. “Russia has experience in managing nuclear. Therefore, if requested, we are ready to help develop nuclear power plants and nuclear energy in Indonesia,” he said at his residence here on Monday. But he added that Russia will not interfere in the internal affairs of Indonesia to decide whether or not it will go ahead with the plan to build nuclear power plants. “Of course, the government and people of Indonesia must decide the project themselves. Russia will always support it for peace purpose and in the interests of the general public,” he said. The plan to build nuclear power plants in Indonesia has sparked pros and cons even if the National Nuclear Energy Board (BATAN) has assured that nuclear in Indonesia will be used for peace and state development.
Freeport Indonesia on the Brink Of Losing Copper Export Permit The Jakarta Globe 20th Jan 2015
Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, is on the brink of losing its permit to export copper concentrate from its Indonesian mine in West Papua, Indonesia’s energy and mining minister said on Tuesday, unless it can prove progress in building the requested new copper smelter this week.
Indonesia Pushes Pertamina Revamp in State Enterprise Reform Bloomberg 19th Jan 2015
Indonesia will overhaul national oil company PT Pertamina as the government seeks to improve the management of state-owned enterprises and deliver infrastructure projects after slashing fuel subsidies. A plan for Pertamina to take over oil importing from its offshore trading unit, Petral, will increase domestic oversight of the company’s energy purchases, Rini Soemarno, the state-owned enterprises minister, said in a Jan. 16 interview. The removal of gasoline subsidies at the start of 2015 will also reduce opportunities for irregular transactions, she said. “We’re not aiming at people, we’re aiming at practices, which have been in play for quite a while,” Soemarno said in her first interview with international media since being appointed to the cabinet three months ago. “The system that we’re going to build is very transparent.”
Ocean energy generation facilities for Indonesia — can we have them? The Jakarta Post 19th Jan 2015
The generation of electricity is the conversion of energy from one form to another through a combination of chemical and/or mechanical means. In the case of hydroelectric generators, the concept involves the conversion of hydrostatic energy to kinetic energy and then to electrical energy. The concept is not new — many successful projects have been completed over the last 75 years to successfully harness the energy of the oceans and convert it into electrical energy. Renewable energy is now truly in the global market and continuous innovation in power-generation technologies and supporting infrastructure is driving cost-reduction efficiencies and generating significant investment opportunities across developed and emerging markets. Planet Earth’s oceanic resources are vast and real progress has been made by many governments toward a better understanding and commercialization of this valuable renewable energy resource.
Indonesia scraps land tax on oil and gas exploration Reuters 16th Jan 2015
Indonesia has scrapped a land tax that companies pay while exploring for oil and gas, a move that might encourage exploration at a time of concern that it could fall sharply due to tumbling oil prices. According to a ministerial decree posted on the Finance Ministry's website, the tax office is no longer assessing a 0.5 percent "land and building tax" charged on the area in which companies are carrying out exploration activities, effective from Jan. 1. Wahju Tumakaka, spokesman for the ministry's tax office, said the interpretation used for taxing exploration areas was wrong, thus the ministry amended the regulation.
Financial Services
IDB Unit Partners to Offer Islamic Trade Finance in Indonesia Reuters 22nd Jan 2015
The International Islamic Trade Finance Cooperation, a financial institution and member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), will provide trade financing in a joint venture with PT Bank Danamon Indonesia.
Bitspark Rolls Out Remittance Service to Indonesia CoinDesk 21st Jan 2015
Bitspark, bitcoin exchange firm, is targeting Hong Kong's sizeable population of Indonesian migrant workers with a new bitcoin-enabled remittance corridor. The firm is pitching its low-cost way of sending money back home to more than 165,000 Indonesians residing in Hong Kong – 90% of whom are employed as foreign domestic helpers, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
OJK to Let Indonesia Mutual Funds to Invest Abroad The Jakarta Globe 20th Jan 2015
Indonesia’s financial services regulator hopes to have finalized by June a new regulation to allow investment managers to include offshore assets in their mutual funds as a means to diversify their portfolios to reduce risks.
Investors Expected to Reach 7 Million People by 2017 The Jakarta Post 20th Jan 2015
The Indonesian Association of Mutual Fund Managers (APRDI) expects the number of mutual fund investors to reach 7 million people in the next two years as the country’s population continues to grow. According to Financial Services Authority (OJK) data, Indonesia could count only around 250.000 mutual fund investors out of its total 240 million citizens as of December 2014.
OJK Seeks Bilateral Financial Services Agreement With China in Q1 Jakarta Globe 16th Jan 2015
Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority, or OJK, is expected to sign a bilateral agreement with China’s financial authority within the first three months of the year, on the hopes of creating a smoother path for Indonesian lenders to expand into the world’s second-biggest economy. “A pre-agreement has been signed, but it was only a letter of intent to speed up the actual agreement that must be reciprocal in nature. We hope to sign the agreement in the near future,” said OJK’s international director Triyono on Thursday. He stressed that any bilateral agreement being pushed by OJK must be beneficial for both countries.
StanChart eyes bank stake sales as it tries to slim down The Malaysian Insider 16th Jan 2015
tandard Chartered's abrupt move to shut its global equities business last week could be a prelude to the lender selling off stakes in a number of Asian banks as it looks to boost capital, people familiar with the lender's thinking said. The most likely potential sale is Standard Chartered's US$621 million (RM2.2 billion) holding in Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (AgBank), a person with direct knowledge of the situation said. The bank's 45% stake in Indonesia's PT Bank Permata , valued at around US$638 million (RM2.27 billion), could also be sold, though that deal would probably come after an AgBank stake sale, people close to the bank said.
Food & Agriculture
Wilmar Opens Palm Oil Supply Chain to Scrutiny The Jakarta Globe 22nd Jan 2015
Wilmar International Ltd., the world’s largest palm oil processor, opened its supply chains to outside scrutiny on Thursday in what environmentalists called an unprecedented step to help safeguard tropical forests. Singapore-based Wilmar said it would give outsiders, from customers to environmentalists worried about deforestation, access to online maps showing where it buys palm oil at more than 800 mills in Indonesia and Malaysia.
State Enterprise to Import Japanese Wagyu Beef TEMPO 21st Jan 2015
Indonesia is re-importing Japanese wagyu beef after having ceased it for 13 years. The beef will be supplied by one of the suppliers in Japan and two Indonesian importers—one of them a state-owned company.
Malindo Feedmill Secures Permit in Exporting to Japan The Jakarta Globe 21st Jan 2015
Malindo Feedmill, an integrated animal husbandry and food processing company, secured an export permit to ship its processed food products to Japan, marking its first foray overseas in the processed food market. The company follows rival Charoen Pokphand Indonesia, Sierad Produce, and Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, which secured the permit last year. Japan had stopped importing processed food from Indonesia since 2004 over bird flu epidemic concerns.
Indonesia sees higher agricultural output in 2015 Reuters 21st Jan 2015
Indonesia expects unmilled rice production to rise to 73.4 million tonnes this year, from an estimated 70.61 million tonnes in 2014, the agriculture minister told parliament on Wednesday. The minister Amran Sulaiman expects rice output to reach 82.09 million tonnes by 2019. He sees corn production this year at 20.33 million tonnes, compared to 19.13 million tonnes estimated for last year. Soybean output will reach 1.27 million tonnes, versus 0.92 million projected for last year, while sugar production would be at 2.97 million tonnes versus an estimated 2.63 million tonnes for 2014, Sulaiman said.
Health & Life Sciences
GSK eyes up to 35 percent growth in RI market The Jakarta Post 21st Jan 2015
With its new products, global consumer healthcare manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is upbeat that the company’s annual sales growth can reach more than 30 percent in the growing Indonesian healthcare market over the coming years. GSK Indonesia consumer healthcare general manager Pawan Sud said in Jakarta on Tuesday that beginning this year, the company’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in total revenues could reach between 30 and 35 percent, because of the introduction of new healthcare products. Sud said the consumer healthcare division of GSK Indonesia, part of the UK-based GSK, had posted a 23 percent CAGR in the past five years, outgrowing the range of 11 and 12 percent growth of Indonesia’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.
Jakarta to Build New Public Cancer Hospital The Jakarta Globe 21st Jan 2015
The Jakarta administration is planning to build its own cancer hospital next year to cater to underprivileged residents stricken by the life-threatening illness. Chairwoman of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation, Veronica Tan, wife of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, said it is time the capital has its own public cancer hospital. Poorer cancer patients currently only have the option of attending the Fatmawati, Cipto Mangunkusumo and Persahabatan public hospitals in South, Central and West Jakarta respectively. Meanwhile, the only dedicated cancer hospital that accepts the government’s universal health insurance scheme, or BPJS, and the Jakarta Health Card — which provides basic health care for all.
Govt, civil society team up to control HIV/AIDS The Jakarta Post 19th Jan 2015
The National AIDS Information and Advocacy Center (PIAN) has said the Indonesian government and civil society have continuously coordinated to evaluate HIV/AIDS prevention and control measures in the country. PIAN coordinator Indira Susatio said that with support from the Global Fund (GF), four institutions concerned with people living with HIV — the National AIDS Prevention Commission (KPAN), the Health Ministry, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI) — were holding an evaluation meeting on HIV/AIDS control programs in Indonesia, slated to take place in Jakarta from Monday to Thursday.
ICT
RI’s Online Shoppers to Spend Rp50T This Year: Survey The Jakarta Post 22nd Jan 2015
Brand and marketing institute BMI Research predicts that the total value of Indonesian customers’ spending on online shopping will more than double to Rp50 trillion (US$4 billion) this year from Rp21 trillion last year.
Indonesia's Telkom cancels plan to buy New Zealand's 2 Degrees The Business Times 21st Jan 2015
Indonesia's biggest telecommunication operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk said on Tuesday it had cancelled its plan to acquire New Zealand's 2 Degrees Mobile Ltd due to a disagreement on price. Telkom had previously planned to acquire a stake of between 25 per cent and 30 per cent in 2 Degrees, domestic media reported in November last year. Telkom is looking for partnership opportunities with telecommunication operators in several countries, especially in Asia and the Middle East, this year, Telkom said in a stock exchange filing on Tuesday, in response to a query from the bourse.
Government to Push BTS Projects in Border Areas The Jakarta Post 20th Jan 2015
Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara says his ministry is focusing its programs this year on developing Base Transreceiver Station (BTS) towers in border areas to create better communication access and support the country’s sovereignty.
Infrastructure
Govt Puts Jakarta-Surabaya High-Speed Train Project on Hold The Jakarta Globe 22nd Jan 2015
The Indonesian government has decided to put Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train project on hold for at least five years in favor of developing a railway network outside Java island. Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said on Wednesday that the government viewed the project’s costs as too astronomical to be financed from the state Budget.
Jakarta Invites Private Sector to Construct Light Rail Transit ANTARA 22nd Jan 2015
The Jakarta Provincial Government has invited private developers to participate in the construction of light rail transit (LRT) in the capital. According to Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the private sectors involvement is needed, considering the lack of funds in the 2015 local budget.
Govt Targets 99% Electrification Rate TEMPO 21st Jan 2015
The government claimed that there are 10 million households still lacking access to electricity in Indonesia. The number was based on statistics - called the 'electrification rate' - gathered in 2014, which is only 84.12 percent.
Rp 48t stimulus to help state firms back govt’s infrastructure push The Jakarta Post 21st Jan 2015
The government has announced plans to inject Rp 48 trillion (US$3.8 billion) of capital into a number of state enterprises — more than nine times the amount spent last year — with the expectation that they will support the government’s infrastructure push. Thirty-five state firms will receive the funds, primarily those in the fisheries, maritime, infrastructure, food materials, transportation and finance sectors, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said. “This [capital injection] is a new thing. The value is huge [...] and there are new companies that will receive the capital injection,” he announced recently, referencing the revised 2015 state budget currently being debated at the House of Representatives. Last year, the government channeled some Rp 5.3 trillion to state firms. -
Chief minister seeks China's help to develop infrastructure projects Antara News 21st Jan 2015
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan Djalil has invited Chinese investors to join Indonesias development programs such as boosting electricity generation capacity and the constructions of toll roads, seaports, integrated industrial zones, and railway lines. "China is the worlds second-largest country with rapid economic growth. Besides this, China is also technologically advanced. Therefore, we want China to help Indonesia build infrastructure," the chief minister stated during a seminar on "Indonesia, China and the Pacific Rim Relationship" here on Tuesday.
Indonesia to inject nearly $4 bln into state-linked companies Reuters 19th Jan 2015
Indonesia unveiled plans on Monday to inject nearly $4 billion into state-linked companies in the infrastructure sector and the biggest bank by assets, in a bid to deploy for growth the money it will save by slashing fuel subsidies. Indonesia will inject 48 trillion rupiah ($3.82 billion) this year into state-owned enterprises mainly in the infrastructure sector as the government's move to slash fuel subsidies will give it more fiscal flexibility, the president said on Monday. The funds will be allocated to state companies such as port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia, construction firm PT Wijaya Karya Tbk, railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia and airport operator PT Angkasa Pura, Widodo told reporters. "After we redirect the fuel subsidies, there's a lot of room in our budget," Widodo said.
Indonesia, France discuss further investment in former's infrastructure sector Global Post 16th Jan 2015
Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro met Friday with his French counterpart Michael Sapin on further investment of French investors in the Asian country. During the meeting, Bambang invited French investors to invest in Indonesia, particularly in the infrastructure sector as the Asian country is in dire efforts to improve the connectivity of its vast territory within the next few years. "I want them to take part in the efforts to increase investment in the infrastructure sector, in the fields where they can serve as experts...,"Bambang said after the meeting. The two sides also discussed France's nickel smelter investment in Indonesia's eastern region of Halmahera, North Maluku province.
Manufacturing
Indonesia Wishes to Become Export Base for Honda ANTARA 21st Jan 2015
Indonesia urged Japan's Honda Motor Company Ltd. to make it the export base for its products to boost its non-oil/gas export performance, which it aims to increase by 300 percent in five years.
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