Karena ketidakjelasan menenai kewajiban letters of credit (L/C) yang baru ditetapkan, Pemerintah Indonesia telah memutuskan untuk bersikap fleksibel. Dimulai dari hari Rabu (01/04) para eksportir Indonesia dari empat komoditi kunci - batubara, minyak (inti) kelapa sawit, minyak & gas, dan bahan-bahan mineral - diharuskan menggunakan L/C untuk semua perjanjian ekspor. Kebijakan baru ini dibuat untuk meningkatkan pemasukan ekspor Indonesia dan meningkatkan pengawasan penjualan sumberdaya alam Indonesia. Kendati begitu, pengecualian sementara kini dimungkinkan terjadi.

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Pada tanggal 29 Maret 2015, Indonesia Investments menerbitkan newsletter edisi terbarunya. Newsletter gratis ini, yang dikirimkan setiap minggu kepada para pelanggan kami, memuat berita-berita paling penting dari Indonesia yang dilaporkan di website kami dalam tujuh hari terakhir. Kebanyakan topik membahas isu ekonomi seperti analisis performa rupiah, prediksi pertumbuhan perekonomian oleh institusi-institusi internasional, rencana pemerintah untuk merevisi pajak ekspor minyak sawit dan melonggarkan larangan ekspor bahan mineral mentah, dan banyak lagi.

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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.

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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.

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On 1 March 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as a forecast for February inflation, an analysis of the rupiah exchange rate, news from the coal mining and palm oil sectors, Islamic finance, the IPO of Mitra Keluarga Karyasehat, and more.

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Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) exports rose about 15 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 1.8 million tons in January 2015 from the same month last year. However, on a month-on-month (m/m) basis Indonesian CPO exports fell 8 percent in the first month of 2015. Fadhil Hasan, Executive Director at the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki), said that CPO exports from Southeast Asia’s largest economy declined in January as demand from nearly all main CPO export markets, particularly China and India, fell at the year-start.

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The benchmark stock index of Indonesia (Jakarta Composite Index) hit a record high on Friday (06/02) on the back of rising palm oil-related stocks (palm oil demand is expected to grow due to the Indonesian government’s proposal to increase biodiesel subsidies) and an improvement in the country’s foreign exchange reserves which shows that economic fundamentals remain strong in current global uncertain times. Corporate earnings results of Indonesian companies also provide positive market sentiments.

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Due to the Indonesian government’s plan to increase biofuel subsidies from IDR 1,500 per liter to IDR 4,000 per liter - in a move to protect the domestic biofuel industry - palm oil futures climbed the most in 28 months. Amid the world’s current low crude palm oil (CPO) prices, Indonesian biofuel producers have it rough as production costs exceed market prices and therefore requested the government to raise biofuel subsidies to offset losses. If approved by Indonesian authorities then this move should result in higher palm oil demand.

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On 2 February 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as an update on January inflation and the December 2014 trade balance, foreign direct investment, palm oil export, car sales, a land reclamation project, and more.

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The Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) believes that it is difficult for Indonesia to achieve the government’s target of collecting USD $36 billion by 2019 through crude palm oil (CPO) exports as several government policies disturb the performance of CPO exports. Moreover, global commodity prices (including palm oil) are still showing a downward trend - hence limiting foreign exchange earnings - as global economic growth remains sluggish. Economic growth of China, a major CPO importer, is expected to slow further this year.

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The price of crude palm oil (CPO), which has been under downward pressure for a long time as global turmoil lingers on, started to rebound due to falling stockpiles in Indonesia and Malaysia. Reserves of the commodity fell because of weather conditions and because of an increase in demand ahead of the Islamic fasting month (Ramadhan). The price of crude palm oil is expected to hit the USD $900 per ton mark in late 2013, up from USD $828-865 per ton in May and June. This price recovery is expected to continue.

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Indonesia's trade balance recorded another deficit in April 2013 as imports (USD $16.31 billion) exceeded exports (USD $14.70 billion). April's trade deficit, amounting to USD $1.62 billion, was mainly due to continued weak commodity exports in combination with strong oil, basic machinery and utensils imports. After five consecutive months of deficits up to February, Indonesia’s trade account reported a surplus of USD $330 million in March, but fell back into deficit in April. From January to April, Indonesia's trade deficit stands at USD $1.85 billion.

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Last week, president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono extended the moratorium on new permits to convert natural forests and peat lands for a further two years. In 2011, Indonesia's government signed the two-year primary forest moratorium that came into effect on 20 May 2011 and expired in May 2013. This moratorium implies a temporary stop to the granting of new permits to clear rain forests and peat lands in the country. The moratorium particularly aims to limit Indonesia's quickly expanding palm oil industry.

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Although the United States continues its traditional focus on direct investments in developed countries, primarily in Western Europe, there has been a significant rise in US investments in Indonesia in recent years. Whereas US investments in the developed economies of Western Europe is mostly found in the financial sector and through holding companies, in developing Asia, the US is more focused on the manufacturing sector due to lower production costs. In the last two years, the US emerged as the second-largest investor in Indonesia after Japan.

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Shareholders of Astra Agro Lestari, Indonesia's largest agribusiness company by value (which is particularly engaged in palm oil and rubber plantations), agreed to distribute IDR 1.08 trillion (USD $111 million) in dividends to its shareholders. The allocated amount is equivalent to about 45 percent of the company's net profit in 2012. Dividend per share is set at IDR 685 (USD $0.071). Last November, the company had already paid interim dividend of IDR 230 per share. Final dividend will be paid on 3 June 2013.

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Indonesian companies engaged in the production of a variety of agricultural products, such as palm oil, experienced a rather poor year in 2012 regarding net profit. Global economic turmoil has reduced the world's consumption of palm oil in both the developed markets and developing markets. In particular decreased demand from China, the world’s biggest buyer after India, made a negative impact on the balance sheets of Indonesian companies.

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