HM Sampoerna, Indonesia's largest tobacco company, decided to close two of its seven hand-rolled cigarette factories as the company needs restructuring due to its declining market share in the country's hand-rolled cigarettes industry. The market share fell from 30.4 percent in 2009 to 23.1 percent in 2013 as consumers are shifting to machine-rolled cigarettes. HM Sampoerna's hand-rolled cigarette plants in Jember and Lumajang (both in East Java) will be closed on 31 May 2014 and will lead to the termination of 4,900 employees.

Lanjut baca ›

Today (Saturday 05/04), Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of the Microsoft Corporation as well as the world's richest person (with a net worth of USD $76 billion according to Forbes), arrives in Jakarta for the launch of the Indonesia Health Fund. This fund, which is established through a cooperation between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Tahir Foundation, aims to combat diseases such as HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, polio and malaria (both in Indonesia and outside Indonesia).

Lanjut baca ›

The Indonesian government should take more action to reverse the country's widening income distribution inequality. Indonesia's Gini ratio, the coefficient that measures inequality among income distribution, has risen in 2013 according to economist Lana Soelistianingsih. The Gini coefficient rose from 0.37 in 2012 to 0.41 in 2013 (a coefficient of zero expresses perfect equality, while one implies maximal inequality). The growth not only shows that the Indonesian government fails to tackle this problem but also implies social risks.

Lanjut baca ›

On 5 April 2014, the US-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private foundation, will travel to Indonesia to join Southeast Asia's largest economy in its combat against malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS as well as to support the country's birth control program through donating a total of USD $100 million. The foundation will also conduct fundraising in Indonesia by inviting various Indonesian businessmen to donate funds for the eradication of aforementioned diseases.

Lanjut baca ›

SidoMuncul Herbal, Indonesia´s largest herbal medicine producer, is expected to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the fourth quarter of 2013. The company, established in 1951, is a fully-modernized herbal company that strives to produce and market products that support the people´s health and well-being. The company will release 20 percent of its shares on the IDX and targets to raise IDR 1.5 trillion (USD $130 million). Kresna Securities acts as underwriter for the IPO.

Lanjut baca ›

Forest fires on the Indonesian island Sumatra have brought severe smog over Singapore's skyline for the past five days, reaching record breaking levels of air pollution in Southeast Asia's wealthy city state. The forest fires are believed to be caused by illegal slash and burn practice on Indonesia's forest-rich island of Sumatra (for palm oil expansion) and represent a recurring problem in the dry season. Besides the environmental disaster, the forest fires cause health issues as well as economic losses for Singapore.

Lanjut baca ›

Direct investment in the medical device industry of Indonesia soared nearly seven-fold to IDR 4.7 trillion (approx. USD $343 million) in 2017 (compared to the preceding year). Rising investment stems from new as well as existing local companies, foreign investors, and local-foreign joint ventures. But what is behind this growth?

Lanjut baca ›

The tobacco and cigarette business in Indonesia is big business. Two tobacco companies are positioned within the top ten of largest companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (in terms of market capitalization) as there exists a huge market for cigarettes in Indonesia with some 65 percent of Indonesian men being smokers (due to Indonesia's socio-cultural context few Indonesian women smoke). Moreover, the Indonesian government seems unwilling to limit cigarette consumption (both active and passive smoking) among the population.

Lanjut baca ›

Relatively frequently Indonesia is shocked by major scandals; usually it is a high-profile corruption case involving politicians or big businessmen but since Friday (24/06) a new scandal arose that has been keeping local media busy. This scandal is more sensitive as it involves the health of little children. Apparently, fake vaccines have been given to children - primarily to babies under one year old - across Java for the past 13 years. Police arrested a total of 16 people on grounds that they have been involved in the production and distribution of fake counterfeit vaccines.

Lanjut baca ›

Indonesia's slowing economic growth, weaker purchasing power and an 8.7 percent increase in excise on tobacco products (in early 2015) had a relatively small impact on the financial performance of Indonesia's listed tobacco companies HM Sampoerna, Gudang Garam, Bentoel Internasional Investama and Wismilak Inti Makmur. Whereas companies active in various other sectors of the Indonesian economy were plagued by falling revenue and profit figures, these tobacco firms still posted solid gains in revenue and - to a lesser degree - net profit growth. This shows that Indonesian smokers are faithful to their "death stick".

Lanjut baca ›

Although Indonesia's National Health Insurance program is not without problems, it does benefit Indonesian hospitals and makes investment in the nation's hospital sector attractive, particularly as the Indonesian government targets to provide universal health care to all Indonesians by the year 2019. Reportedly, those hospitals that receive patients that fall under Indonesia's Healthcare and Social Security Agency (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial, or BPJS Kesehatan) are the busiest hospitals in Indonesia at the moment.

Lanjut baca ›

Companies active in the pharmaceutical industry of Indonesia need to find strategies to overcome sharp rupiah depreciation. Indonesia’s pharmaceutical industry is still - to a large extent - dependent on the import of raw materials, hence a weakening rupiah raises the costs of imports thus eroding profit margins. Since May 2013, when the US Federal Reserve started to hint at monetary tightening, the US dollar has experienced bullish momentum. Between the May 2013 and July 2015, the rupiah depreciated around 37 percent against the US dollar.

Lanjut baca ›

One of the solid growing markets in Indonesia that remains untapped is the water purifier market. Although Indonesia holds six percent of the world’s fresh water resources, the quality of Indonesia’s public piped water is inadequate (contaminated with E. coli, fecal coliforms and other pathogens). Moreover, roughly 80 percent of the Indonesian population lacks access to piped water hence relying on river water for drinking, washing and bathing. However, the water of most Indonesian rivers do not meet drinking water requirements.

Lanjut baca ›

Although most Indonesians still prefer to eat rice and noodles as part of their daily diet, an increasing number of Indonesians (particularly those who live in the urban environments and have adjusted to an ‘urban lifestyle’) have started to consume cereals and bread. In fact, Indonesia has become the world’s second-largest wheat importer and ranks among East Asia’s largest cereal importers. The country is dependent on these imports as domestic production of grains is close to zero (the climate doesn’t suit cultivation).

Lanjut baca ›

A new World Bank report, entitled “The Double Burden of Malnutrition in Indonesia”, says that 37.2 percent of Indonesian children under the age of five - or 8.4 million children - are stunted (meaning excessively small for their age) and suffer from chronic malnutrition. As such, Indonesia has the fifth-highest level of stunting in the world. The report also states that 19.6 percent of Indonesian children under five years old (approximately 4.4 million) are underweight as a result of malnutrition. Public awareness about this issue is low in Indonesia.

Lanjut baca ›

Mitra Keluarga Karyasehat, operator rumah sakit dan unit usaha dari Grup Kalbe, menargetkan untuk meraup Rp 4,2 trilliun dalam penawaran umum perdana (IPO) di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) pada Maret 2015. Perusahaan ini akan menawarkan 261,9 juta saham, setara dengan 18% dari modal ditempatkan dan disetor penuh perseroan. Lima persen dari total saham ini adalah saham baru, sementara 13% adalah saham didivestasi private equity firm Lion Investment Partners.

Lanjut baca ›