To ease pressures on the IDR rupiah, Indonesia's central bank has used about USD $2.0 billion of its foreign exchange reserves to support the currency as the country's continuing trade deficit as well as concerns about the possible increase in price of subsidized fuel in June has caused much uncertainty about the level of inflation in the near future and puts downward pressure on the rupiah. Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves fell to USD $105.2 billion in late May 2013 from USD $107.3 billion at the end of April.

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Indonesia's minister of Economy, Ir. M. Hatta Rajasa, stated that the government of Indonesia intends to realize economic growth of at least 6.2 percent in the second quarter of 2013 in order to remain on track for 6.3 percent growth for full year 2013. Although he reminded that it will take hard effort to realize this target, his message contained more optimism than Finance minister Chatib Basri's statement earlier this week who sees 6.0 percent of economic growth as the limit in Q2-2013.

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The Indonesian government and Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed on several macroeconomic projections for the 2013 Revised State Budget (RAPBN-P 2013). The government requested a number of modifications to the 2013 State Budget as earlier assumptions, mentioned in the original 2013 State Budget, were not in line with the current economic conditions. Before reaching the agreement, fractions in the commission changed a number of proposed revisions of the government.

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In the draft for the State Budget of 2014 (RAPBN 2014), the government of Indonesia projects economic growth of between 6.4 and 6.9 percent. Continued global recovery is expected to result in higher GDP growth compared to 2012 (6.23 percent) as it will result in better demand for Indonesian products, such as commodities. The main pillar of Indonesia's GDP growth - domestic consumption - is expected to grow due to the population's higher purchasing power and the upcoming legislative and presidential elections.

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Market capitalization of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has surpassed its psychological boundary of IDR 5,000 trillion (USD $512.82 billion) last week, supported by the new record high level position of the Indonesia Stock Index (IHSG) on Friday at 5,145.68 points. Up to 17 May 2013, the IHSG gained 18.41 percent this year, thus outperforming all other major stock indices in Asia except for the Philippines and Japan's Nikkei, which gained 41.64 percent this year amid an aggressive stimulus plan of the central bank of Japan.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia, or BI) kept its benchmark interest rate at 5.75 percent and its overnight deposit facility rate (FASBI) at four percent as the country's core inflation figure is still within the target range of the central bank (3.5-5.5 percent). Core inflation currently stands at 4.12 percent (YoY). However, as the price of subsidized fuel is expected to rise in June, inflation may increase and could trigger a policy response by Bank Indonesia later this year.

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Today, Statistics Indonesia released Indonesia's economic growth figure for the first quarter of 2013. Compared to Q1-2012, Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.02 percent. This growth was supported by almost every sector except for Mining and Extracting, which fell 0.43 percent (YoY), indicating that natural resources are still not back on track. The largest contributor to Indonesia's Q1-2013 growth is Transportation and Communication, which grew 9.98 percent.

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According to data from Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Indonesia was visited by over 725 thousand foreign visitors in March 2013, up 10.1 percent compared to the same month last year. The Indonesian government has set the ambitious target of welcoming a total of nine million foreign tourists in 2013. In 2014, it wants at least 10 million foreigners to visit Indonesia. The government expects these increases to originate mainly from the Asia-Pacific region itself.

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This morning (30/04/13), president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivered a speech in which he announced that the price of subsidized fuel will increase to relieve mounting pressures on the government budget deficit. Yudhoyono refrained from mentioning a new price level nor did he announce when the new measure will be implemented. He said that cash compensation programs for the poor need to be prepared first before adjustment of the country's subsidized fuel price can be executed.

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Indonesia's largest listed property developer, PT Lippo Karawaci, will distribute IDR 270 billion (USD $27.8 million) in dividends to its shareholders (IDR 11,86 per share). This amount is equivalent to 25.5 percent of the company's net profit in 2012. The developer posted a 49.7 percent increase in net profit last year to IDR 1.06 trillion (USD $109.3 million). The company is convinced that it will increase its net profit to IDR 1.9 trillion (USD $195.9) in 2013.

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Growth of the manufacturing industry in Indonesia is expected to be significantly weaker in 2015 than initially forecast. Indonesia’s Industry Ministry cut its 2015 forecast for expansion of the country’s manufacturing industry to 6.1 percent (year-on-year) from the previous estimate of 6.8 percent. In tandem with slowing economic growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, manufacturing growth has slowed to 4.99 percent (y/y) in Q3-2014. Moreover, the HSBC/Markit PMI contracted to a record low of 48.0 in November 2014.

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International credit rating agency Fitch Ratings maintained Indonesia’s sovereign rating at BBB-/stable outlook (investment grade). Baradita Katoppo, President Director of Indonesia’s Fitch Ratings branch, said that the firm is positive about the country’s financial fundamentals and prudent fiscal policy as the central bank has showed to prefer stability over growth, resulting in slowing credit growth and rising foreign exchange reserves in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Economic growth is expected to fall to 5.1 percent (y/y) in 2014.

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The central bank of Indonesia expects that Indonesia’s current account deficit will decline to below the three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) mark by the end of this year supported by sharply falling global oil prices and Indonesia’s recent subsidized fuel price hike. Hendar, Deputy Governor of the central bank, said that for every USD $1 decline in global oil prices, the country’s current account deficit narrows by about USD $170 million. Indonesia’s current account deficit fell to 3.1 percent of GDP in Q3-2014 (from 4.06 percent of GDP in Q2-2014).

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The Governor of Indonesia’s central bank, Agus Martowardojo, said that he expects inflation to accelerate to 6.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) in November 2014, significantly up from 4.83 percent y/y in the previous month. Accelerated inflation is caused by the multiplier effect triggered by the recent subsidized fuel price hike in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. On 18 November 2014, the government introduced higher prices for subsidized fuels in a bid to reallocate public spending from fuel consumption to structural development.

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Today (20/10), Central Jakarta seems to have changed into one big party as Joko Widodo was inaugurated as Indonesia’s seventh president earlier this morning. For the remainder of the day celebrations will be held at Monas (National Monument) and surrounding areas. However, it is of vital importance that Widodo (popularly known as Jokowi) will start to focus on this presidential duties tomorrow as the country is facing a number of economic challenges. What are these challenges?

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Indonesian Finance Minister Chatib Basri said that the lower pace of economic growth in China, the world’s second-largest economy, is a major concern for Indonesia as it leads to declining demand for commodities (and thus places downward pressure on commodity prices). As Indonesia is a major commodity exporter - such as coal, crude palm oil, nickel ore and tin - the country feels the impact of weak global demand for commodities. About 60 percent of Indonesia’s exports are commodities, mostly raw ones.

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The government of Indonesia agreed with the House Budget Committee to adjust the economic growth target of Southeast Asia’s largest economy in 2015 to 5.8 percent, 0.2 percentage point up from the initial growth target proposed by the government in the Financial Memorandum as well as the 2015 State Budget Draft (APBN). Still, the 5.8 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth target constitutes the lowest growth target set in Indonesia’s state budget (excluding revised state budgets) since the year 2010.

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Pemerintah mengakui sulit mengejar target pertumbuhan yang ditetapkan dalam APBN-P 2014 yakni sebesar 5.5 persen. Wakil Menteri Keuangan Bambang Brodjonegoro bahkan memperkirakan Indonesia harus bekerja keras mengejar pertumbuhan di level 5.3 persen. “Kita mencoba realistis. Mudah-mudahan di semester II bisa memperbaiki jadi sedikit bisa ke 5.3 persen. Outlook range kami di 5.2-5.3 persen,” tutur Bambang, pekan ini.

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Property stocks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) have outperformed all other stocks between the first trading day of 2014 up to 29 August 2014. The IDX’ property sector category rose 37.6 percent in the indicated period, whereas the benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index, abbreviated IHSG) - which involves all stocks traded on the IDX - climbed 18.7 percent over the same period. On the IDX, stocks are placed in ten sectoral categories. The second-best performing sectoral index was finance (+24.5 percent).

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced two important matters on Thursday (14/08). Firstly, the institution decided to maintain the benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, the overnight deposit facility rate (Fasbi) at 5.75 percent, and the lending facility rate at 7.50 percent. Secondly, it announced that Indonesia’s current account deficit widened to USD $9.1 billion, or, 4.27 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2014, a widening that is larger than initially forecast.

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