Our Financial Columns offer analyses of subjects related to the Indonesian financial markets. Together, these columns - that also have high news value in the current state of the Indonesian economy - intend to provide a clear and detailed picture regarding the structure and performance of these markets.
The COVID-19 pandemic made governments around the world impose severe social and business restrictions, thus contributing heavily to the unprecedented decline in economic activity. To maintain society’s support, governments subsequently had to spend heavily on social assistance, soft loans, and various fiscal incentives to keep most businesses alive and allow poorer segments of society to have enough to eat.
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to leave its interest rates unchanged at the two-day monetary policy meeting that ended on 20 April 2021. The benchmark BI Seven-Day Reverse Repo Rate was held at 3.50 percent, while the deposit facility and lending facility rates were kept at 2.75 percent and 4.25 percent, respectively.
Bank Jago, previously known as Bank Artos Indonesia, was never really a well-known bank in Indonesia. However, quite suddenly, Bank Jago not only became a big item in Indonesian media but even the subject of 'gossip' in the local stock market when it was acquired by Jerry Ng (via PT Metamorfosis Ekosistem Indonesia, MEI) and Patrick Walujo (via Wealth Track Technology Limited) at the end of 2019. Together, both acquired 51 percent of Bank Jago's shares, and turned this small bank into a digital bank (which was when it changed its name from Bank Artos Indonesia to Bank Jago).
Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have existed for many decades around the world. By establishing a SWF – and inject capital into the SWF – governments can strengthen their national economies and generate wealth for future generations. In fact, a SWF is essentially a state-owned investment fund typically funded using excess capital.
