The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced today (27/07) that - in rupiah terms - foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia rose 18.2 percent (y/y) to IDR 92.2 trillion rupiah in the second quarter of 2015, the fastest growth pace recorded since 2013. However, in US dollar terms, FDI fell to USD $7.38 billion in Q2-2015 from USD $7.43 billion in the same quarter one year earlier. The BKPM uses an IDR 12,500 per US dollar exchange rate in 2015 and an IDR 10,500 per US dollar exchange rate in 2014.

Lanjut baca ›

Selama dua hari terakhir lebih dari 900 migran (diduga adalah etnis Muslim Rohingya dari Myanmar dan Bangladesh) telah diselamatkan dari perahu-perahu kayu yang kelebihan penumpang di wilayah pantai Provinsi Aceh pada ujung utara Pulau Sumatra. Setelah dilihat oleh nelayan-nelayan lokal, kapal-kapal ini diderek ke daerah pesisir Aceh. Sementara itu, di Malaysia lebih dari 1.000 migran dari Myanmar dan Bangladesh ditemukan di daerah laut dangkal dekat Langkawi setelah ditelantarkan oleh para penyelundup manusia.

Lanjut baca ›

State-controlled Bank Mandiri, the leading bank in Indonesia in terms of asset size, will be allowed to open 20 branches in Malaysia after financial authorities in Indonesia and Malaysia signed an agreement. Although Muliaman D Hadad, Chief Commissioner at Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK), said that the government of Malaysia still needs to ratify the agreement, it is expected that Bank Mandiri will be able to open its Malaysian branches before the end of the year.

Lanjut baca ›

Pemerintah Indonesia berencana untuk merevisi kebijakan pajak ekspor minyak sawit mentah (CPO). Menteri Koordinator Bidang Perekonomian Sofyan Djalil mengatakan bahwa Pemerintah berencana untuk menerapkan pajak tetap senilai 50 dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) per metrik ton untuk ekspor CPO ketika harga CPO menurun di bawah batasan yang dibuat Pemerintah yaitu 750 dollar AS per ton. Hal ini menyiratkan bahwa tidak mungkin lagi bagi para eksportir minyak sawit Indonesia utuk melakukan pengiriman tanpa biaya. Saat ini, para eksportir minyak sawit bisa mengekspor CPO tanpa biaya karena harga CPO telah berada di bawah batasan 750 dollar AS sejak September 2014.

Lanjut baca ›

Diperkirakan bahwa ekspor minyak sawit mentah (crude palm oil/CPO) dan hasil olahannya jatuh pada Februari 2015 karena permintaan yang lambat dari India dan Republik Rakyat Tionghoa (RRT), dua negara pengimpor minyak sawit terbesar di dunia. Ekspor juga menurun karena produksi kedelai dunia meningkat (minyak kedelai adalah bahan pengganti yang mirip dengan minyak sawit untuk digunakan sebagai bahan makanan dan biodiesel). Berdasarkan pada median dari enam penghasil minyak sawit, perkiraan para analis dan lembaga, pengiriman minyak sawit Indonesia (termasuk bungkil inti sawit) jatuh 6% pada basis month-to-month (m/m) menjadi 1,7 juta metrik ton di bulan Februari.

Lanjut baca ›

Komisi XI DPR yang membidangi sektor perbankan nasional akan segera mengusulkan rancangan baru undang-undang yang membatasi kepemilikan asing di bank-bank Indonesia menjadi 40 persen (dari 99 persen saat ini). Bank yang sekarang dimiliki oleh pihak asing akan diberi waktu 10 tahun mendivestasikan sahamnya setelah rancangan undang-undang diloloskan menjadi undang-undang (konon rancangan sebelumnya memberikan jangka waktu pengalihan selama lima tahun untuk divestasi wajib tersebut).

Lanjut baca ›

Indonesia’s production of crude palm oil (CPO) is estimated to reach 31 million tons this year, up from an expected 29.5 million tons in 2014, according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Board (DMSI). Similar to last year, CPO production growth is limited due to unconducive weather conditions in the world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil. Moreover, old trees have become less productive, while the younger generation of planted trees have not yet reached an optimal production age.

Lanjut baca ›

The world’s two largest crude palm oil (CPO) producers and exporters, Indonesia and Malaysia, are expected to maintain their zero percent export tariffs for CPO in January 2015 according to Dorab Mistry, Executive at Godrej Industries Ltd (India's leading manufacturer of oleochemicals), in an interview to international news agency Reuters. Authorities in Malaysia (since September 2014) and Indonesia (since October 2014) have implemented duty-free CPO shipments in an effort to boost global CPO demand and prices.

Lanjut baca ›

Exports of Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives may increase to 21.6 million tons (collecting about USD $16.0 - 17.3 billion in foreign exchange) in 2015. Meanwhile, Indonesian CPO production is estimated to reach 32.5 million tons next year while the CPO price is estimated to range between USD $740 - 800 per ton. However, provided that the Indonesian government will extend its current zero export tariff scheme for CPO exports, then the country’s CPO exports are expected to accelerate.

Lanjut baca ›

Indonesia welcomed a total of 808,767 foreign tourists in October 2014, up 12.3 percent from the same month last year, according to official data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Meanwhile, on a month-to-month basis, foreign tourist arrivals rose 2.2 percent from September 2014. Suryamin, Chief at BPS, said that the highest percentage increases on a month-to-month basis occurred in Adi Sucipto International Airport (Yogyakarta), followed by the Port of Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), and Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (Riau).

Lanjut baca ›

Despite positive results of monthly US Factory Orders and Economic Optimism, it did not support Asian stock markets up to the end of Wednesday's trading day. The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG), on the other hand, maintained its upward movement to reach 4,981.47, a 0.49 percent gain. Matters that supported the IHSG's performance to yet another new record high level, were well-received 2012 company reports as well as expected dividend payouts.

Lanjut baca ›