In the first three monthly policy meetings this year (January-March) the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) cut borrowing costs by a total of 75 basis points. Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) was cut from 7.50 percent at the year-start to 6.75 percent at Thursday's Board of Governors' meeting. The overnight deposit facility rate and lending facility rate were also cut by 75 basis points, each, in the first three months. The lower interest rate environment in Indonesia signals that the financial fundamentals are strong. This is partly reason behind strong inflows of foreign capital into Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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Stock markets in Asia as well as Asian emerging market currencies should perform well today after the US Federal Reserve left rates unchanged at its March policy meeting. Moreover, the central bank of the world's largest economy stated that it expects fewer rate hikes in the coming months (dovish outlook) as economic recovery of the USA is still fragile amid slower global growth and turmoil in world markets linked to low oil price. As a result risk sentiment improved sharply, while the US dollar suffered losses.

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The Indonesian rupiah is flirting with the IDR 13,000 per US dollar level on Monday (07/03) supported by improving risk appetite of investors. By 13:40 pm local Jakarta time, the currency of Indonesia had appreciated 0.64 percent to IDR 13,047 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index). The rupiah is now on a 13-day 'winning streak', its longest rally in six years, and is the second-best performing emerging market currency after Brazil's real so far this year. What is behind this good performance, and is it sustainable?

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In line with expectations, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) cut its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) by 25 basis points to 7.0 percent at its February Board of Governor's policy meeting. Its overnight deposit facility rate (known as Fasbi) and lending facility rate were also cut by 0.25 percent to 5.00 percent and 7.50 percent, respectively. After the rate cut in January it was the second straight month of lower borrowing costs in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia also cut the reserve-requirement ratio for rupiah deposits at commercial banks by 100 basis points to 6.5 percent.

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Tahun lalu Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) turun 12,13% sehingga berakhir pada 4,593.01 poin pada 30 Desember 2015 di tengah ketidakpastian global yang parah akibat ancaman pengetatan kebijakan moneter di Amerika Serikat (AS) dan perlambatan ekonomi yang besar dari Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT). Hari ini, Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) akan memasuki hari perdagangan pertamanya di tahun baru. Apa yang kita harapkan dari kinerja saham Indonesia di Januari 2016?

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Kementerian Keuangan Indonesia mengeluarkan pernyataan pada hari Minggu (3/1) yang menyatakan bahwa Indonesia gagal memenuhi sebagian besar target ekonomi yang ditetapkan dalam Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara Perubahan (APBN-P) 2015. Alasan utama dari lemahnya kinerja adalah harga komoditi yang rendah, pertumbuhan ekonomi global yang lesu, perlambatan ekonomi Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT), dan arus keluar modal yang dipicu oleh pengetatan kebijakan moneter Federal Reserve Amerika Serikat (AS). Hanya realisasi inflasi dan hasil treasury yield yang sejalan dengan target pemerintah.

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Hari perdagangan terakhir tahun 2015 di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) telah berlalu dan sekarang saatnya untuk melihat kembali kinerja Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) dan rupiah selama tahun 2015. Tahun 2015 merupakan tahun yang hektik, ditandai dengan volatilitas tinggi karena ketidakpastian tentang waktu kenaikan tingkat suku bunga AS (yang akhirnya diputuskan oleh Federal Reserve pada bulan Desember 2015) dan perlambatan ekonomi Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT).

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Dengan akan berakhirnya tahun 2015, maka ada baiknya kita melihat tantangan yang dihadapi Indonesia tahun ini dan apakah tantangan ini akan tetap ada di tahun 2016. Singkatnya, kami percaya bahwa tantangan eksternal yang ada saat ini akan bertahan di tahun yang baru. Pertumbuhan ekonomi negara ini diproyeksikan melaju menjadi 5,3% pada basis year-on year (y/y) pada tahun 2016 dari perkiraan 4,7% (y/y) pada tahun 2015 (tahun kelima berturut-turut perlambatan pertumbuhan produk domestik bruto), tetapi pertumbuhan ini terutama disebabkan oleh peningkatan pengeluaran pemerintah.

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Indonesian inflation may reach 2.9 percent year-on-year (y/y) only in full-year 2015, the lowest level since 2009 when inflation in Southeast Asia's largest economy was recorded at 2.78 percent (y/y). In recent years Indonesia's inflation has been volatile with peaks correlating with administered price adjustments (primarily fuel and electricity price hikes as the government is keen on limiting spending on subsidies). Another characteristic of Indonesia is that inflation is generally high (compared to advanced economies), which is in line with the higher economic growth pace (than that of advanced economies).

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Rupiah Indonesia menguat secara signifikan terhadap dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) pada hari Senin (21/12) kendati ada prediksi bahwa rupiah akan menjadi mata uang dengan performa terburuk di Asia pada tahun 2016 akibat capital outflows (karena suku bunga AS direncanakan akan semakin dinaikkan pada tahun 2016), cadangan devisa Indonesia yang menurun, dan harga-harga komoditi yang terus-menerus rendah. Berdasarkan pada Bloomberg Dollar Index, rupiah telah menguat 1,13% menjadi Rp 13.760 per dollar AS pada pukul 14:20 Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB) pada hari Senin (21/12).

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Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) is expected to be maintained at 7.50 percent at Bank Indonesia's Board of Governor's Meeting on Tuesday 8 April 2014. Despite Indonesia's moderating inflation rate (7.32 percent year on year in March 2014) and the February 2014 trade surplus of USD $785 million, the BI rate may be left unchanged in order to support the further easing of Indonesia's current account deficit and to offset the impact of the possible US interest rate hikes in 2015 and 2016.

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At 15:00 local Jakarta time on Tuesday (01/04), the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate as well as the country's benchmark stock index (known as the IHSG or Jakarta Composite Index) have shown a positive performance so far. Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah appreciated 0.64 percent to IDR 11,288 per US dollar, while the IHSG climbed 2.15 percent to 4,871.38. A number of internal and external factors contributed to this remarkable performance today.

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By the end of Friday's trading day (28/03), the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated 0.75 percent to IDR 11,361 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. At the end of March 2014, the rupiah is still the best-performing Asian currency this year, outperforming 24 emerging-market currencies that are tracked by Bloomberg. Since 31 December 2013, the rupiah appreciated nearly seven percent against the US dollar as an easing current account deficit and slowing inflation triggered capital inflows into Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate depreciated 0.31 percent to IDR 11,447 per US dollar on Thursday (27/03) based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. The currency's strong performance in February and the first half of March, supported by Indonesia's easing current account deficit and inflation, has met resistance due to global concern about the aggressive US Federal Reserve monetary tightening (winding down its quantitative easing program by another chunk of USD $10 billion as well as possible US interest rate hikes in 2015 and 2016).

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Today (18/03), the World Bank released the March 2014 edition of its Indonesia Economic Quarterly (IEQ), titled Investment in Flux. The report discusses key developments over the past three months in Indonesia’s economy, and places these developments in a longer-term and global context. Secondly, it provides a more in-depth examination of selected economic and policy issues, as well as analysis of Indonesia’s medium-term development challenges. Click here for further information about the World Bank and its activities in Indonesia.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate continued its impressive rebound in 2014, supported by Indonesia's improving economic fundamentals as well as increased political certainty due to the nomination of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the main opposition party's (PDI-P) presidential candidate. As such, the 'Jokowi effect' managed to offset negative market sentiments brought on by the (disputed) referendum in Crimea that showed that 97 percent of voters support a split from Ukraine. This intensified political tensions between the West and Russia.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) believes that the USD $430 million trade deficit that was recorded in January 2014 is a normal result taking into account the implementation of the ban on exports of unprocessed minerals (which reduces exports of materials such as copper and nickel) and seasonal trends as exports are always lower in January than in December due the end of winter peak demand for raw materials and ongoing contractual negotiations at the beginning of each year.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate had depreciated (0.15 percent) to IDR 11,665 per US dollar on Thursday (27/02), 15:00 local Jakarta time, based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. Governor of Bank Indonesia Agus Martowardojo stated yesterday to expect the currency to stabilize near current levels in line with its economic fundamentals ahead of looming further Federal Reserve tapering. Analysts estimate that Indonesia's trade balance might deteriorate in January 2014 as the impact of the mineral-ore export ban kicks in.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is optimistic that the country's currency will continue to appreciate against the US dollar in the first quarter of 2014. Executive Director at the Economic and Monetary Policy Department of Bank Indonesia Juda Agung said that there are two factors that impact positively on the performance of the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate: the improved global economy and strengthening domestic economic fundamentals. However, Agung declined to estimate the value of the rupiah by the end of Q1-2014.

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Positive market sentiments stemming from Wall Street pushed Indonesia's benchmark stock index (known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) further up on Wednesday (12/02). Even though technical indicators (such as the bollinger band) suggest that the majority of Indonesian stocks are close to the overbought area, it did not prevent investors from stock trading. The appreciating rupiah exchange rate, rising Asian indices and positive openings in Europe all contributed to the IHSG's 0.58 percent gain to 4,496.29 points.

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