• Ease of Doing Business in Indonesia: Slight Improvement Detected

    President Joko Widodo’s unexpected visit to the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) on Tuesday (28/10) signals that the new president of Indonesia is serious about wiping out severe bureaucracy that causes time-consuming and difficult procedures to obtain permits, licenses and certificates in a bid to ease doing business in Indonesia for both foreign and domestic investors. Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is eager to tackle the country’s ‘red-tape’ problem as it curtails the pace of economic growth in Indonesia.

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  • Positive Outlook Investments in Indonesia’s Food & Beverage Industry

    Investment in Indonesia’s processed food and beverage industry is expected to grow at least ten percent to IDR 55 trillion (USD $4.6 billion) in 2015 from an estimated investment realization of IDR 50 trillion in 2014. Adhi Lukman, General Chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (GAPMMI), said that investments in this sector have been solid due to rising consumption of food and beverages in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Particularly foreign investments have been strong in 2014 and are expected to continue next year.

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  • Higher Cigarette Excise; Indonesia’s Tobacco Industry in Trouble?

    One of the last decisions of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration before being replaced by the new Joko Widodo-led administration was to raise the tobacco excise by an average of 8.7 percent per 1 January 2015. This excise will be applied to all tobacco-related manufactured products. The higher excise, stipulated by a Finance Ministry decree, will boost state income and will also help to curb smoking. About 65 percent of Indonesian men smoke, supported by the cheap price of a package of cigarettes.

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  • Overtime by Employees Working in Indonesia

    Overtime by employees in Indonesia is allowed under certain conditions. Indonesian Law Number 13 of 2003 regarding Manpower (Labor Law) and its implementing regulation in Decree of Manpower and Transmigration Minister Number 102/MEN/VI/2004 regarding Overtime and Overtime Wages (Overtime Regulation) set these conditions. Based on the foregoing, legislation employees are working overtime if the work time exceeds the seven hours per day in a six day work week, or the eight hours per day in a five day work week, or on weekly rest days, or on Indonesian public holidays.

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The views expressed in these business columns are the views of the authors or the interviewed persons only and therefore do not necessarily reflect the views of Indonesia Investments. The authors are free to ventilate their opinions about the Indonesian business climate. Facts presented in these columns are the result of the author's own research or indicated sources, read disclaimer
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