• Turnover in Indonesia's Food & Beverage Industry Up 7.55% in Q1-2016

    Turnover in Indonesia's food and beverage sector reached IDR 400 trillion (approx. USD $30.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2016, up 7.55 percent from the same period one year earlier. Adhi Lukman, Chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (GAPMMI), is content to see the growth pace, particularly because it is supported by rising sales volumes. In Q1-2015 the growth pace in Indonesia's food and beverage industry was higher (at +8.16 percent y/y) but this growth was more supported by higher prices rather than rising sales volumes.

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  • Indonesian Banks Reject Lower Net Interest Margin Plan

    Indonesian banks support the country's financial authorities' intention to cut lending rates to single digit margins (in a bid to boost credit growth and economic activity). However, these banks argue that lower interest rates should be the result of enhanced efficiency at banks, not by the Financial Services Authority (OJK)'s plan to cut banks' net interest margin (NIM). Earlier this year, the OJK - the government agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector - announced its plan to push state-owned banks' NIM down to the range of 3 to 4 percent.

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  • Tax Amnesty Bill Indonesia Implemented in Late July 2016?

    Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro is optimistic that the Tax Amnesty Bill can be turned into law at the next meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR). Although not all 27 articles of the Tax Amnesty Bill have been discussed yet among both institutions, the most crucial articles have been debated and the DPR seems to agree that the bill will raise the government's tax revenue. The government and DPR agree that deliberations should be completed by 28 July 2016.

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  • Foreign Exchange Reserves Indonesia Rise Slightly in April 2016

    Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves rose slightly last month. According to the lastest data from the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia), the country's foreign exchange assets inched up to USD $107.7 billion in April 2016 from USD $107.5 billion in the preceding month. Bank Indonesia stated that the increase came on the back of foreign exchange receipts obtained through the recent sale of central bank certificates (SBBI). These proceeds exceeded foreign exchange needed for foreign debt payments, hence causing rising reserve assets.

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