Although the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit meetings have not finished yet, there are already some interesting results. As has been reported previously, the Indonesian government will release another economic policy package in October. One new policy involves the revision of Indonesia's negative investment list (which lists sectors that are either wholly or partially closed to private foreign and/or domestic investment). Another positive result involves the APEC Environmental Goods List (APEC EG List).

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The government of Indonesia will lower the export duties on crude palm oil (CPO) from 10.5 percent in August to 9 percent in September if the CPO price continues to stay between USD $800-850 per ton. This lower tax policy is done in order to stimulate export revenues amid persistent weak global commodity prices. The international palm oil market is expected to remain stagnant in August and September. Stockpiles of CPO in Malaysia and Indonesia are projected to rise between September and December 2013.

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Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia (PP London Sumatra Indonesia or Lonsum), controlled by the powerful Salim Group, is an Indonesian plantation company focused on the production of palm oil, rubber, tea and cocoa. Its estates are located on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Amid weak global demand for commodities, the company posted a 72.1 percent fall in net profit over the first six months of 2013. Its shares have fallen 48.0 percent since the first trading day of 2013.

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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.

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Indonesia's palm oil exports (palm oil and palm kernel) rose by 9.1 percent (month-on-month) to 2.04 million metric tons in February, according to data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki). This level - the highest in about five years - was brought on due to increased purchases from China and Pakistan. Indonesia's palm oil industry may experience a better year in 2013 as exports in the first two months of 2013 rose 29 percent from last year.

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BW Plantation (BWPT), a mid-sized crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernels (PK) producer, felt the impact of weak global demand for commodities in 2012. The company's net profit in 2012 fell 18.17 percent to IDR 262.18 billion (US $26.89 million). Profit per share fell to IDR 64,83 from IDR 79,35 per share last year. The decline in profit was particularly caused by an increase in operating expenses from IDR 131.05 billion (US $13.44 million) to IDR 153.87 billion (US $15.78 million).

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In the first quarter of 2013, sales figures of trucks and heavy equipment in Indonesia still show no significant upward movement yet due to low activity in the country's mining, plantation and construction sectors. The chairman of Indonesia's Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Association (HINABI), Pratjojo Dewo, said that production numbers of heavy equipment in January and February rose slightly compared to the same months last year.

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Exports of Indonesian palm oil may drop to 1.51 million metric tonnes (MT) in February, a 5.6 percent decline from January. Importers prefer to buy the commodity in Malaysia where the government has put in place a duty free tariff on its palm oil exports in order to reduce large stockpiles. Indonesia, on the other hand, has a nine percent export duty as the government tries to gain more revenue out of its natural resources.

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Although the palm oil industry of Indonesia is resented by many for the negative impact it has on mother nature (for example the seasonal forest fires that occur on parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan), it also constitutes a vital industry: across the globe crude palm oil (CPO) is used for the production of a wide variety of products from food, cooking oil to cosmetics or biodiesel. Indonesia is the world's largest producer and exporter of CPO. This column is the first installment in a series, written by Senior Consultant William Yang, that discusses Indonesia's palm oil industry, particularly the different business models, the risks, and how to invest safely in this industry.

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The crude palm oil business received a blow when France announced it plans to impose progressive tax on imports of crude palm oil and its derivatives. French authorities approved a bill on 21 January 2016 that will raise the import tax on palm oil from around 100 euro per ton currently to 300 euro per ton in 2017. This tariff will then be raised to 700 euro per ton in 2019, and to 900 euro per ton in 2020. Through this tax hike France aims to discourage the palm oil industry, hence curtailing global deforestation as well as to protect its citizens from the negative health effects caused by the consumption of palm oil.

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Agribusiness company Astra Agro Lestari, one of Indonesia's leading crude palm oil (CPO) producers, is expected to show a better performance in 2016 on an expected rise in palm oil prices. Although palm oil futures currently feel the negative effects of tumbling global crude oil prices, these futures are estimated to have risen to about 2,700 ringgit per ton by May 2016 from around 2,385 (approx. USD $540)  per ton currently.

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The world's two largest crude palm oil (CPO) producers and exporters - Indonesia and Malaysia - signed an agreement on Saturday (21/11) for the establishment of an intergovernmental palm oil council, called the Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries (CPOPC), that aims to control the global CPO supply, stabilize prices, promote sustainable practices in the palm oil industry, and enhance the welfare of oil palm smallholders. Both countries will invest USD $5 million each for the set up of this new council. Its headquarters will be located in Jakarta.

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Dengan kebakaran hutan yang masih membara di wilayah-wilayah pulau Sumatra dan Kalimantan, merusak lingkungan hidup tropis, sementara kabut asap beracun masih menyebar ke wilayah-wilayah lain di Asia Tenggara, menyebabkan kira-kira 500.000 kasus infeksi saluran pernapasan dan juga 19 kematian, bencana yang masih berlangsung ini telah diklasifikasikan sebagai kejahatan atas kemanusiaan. Sebuah laporan penelitian baru dan menarik, diterbitkan oleh Dr. Herry Purnomo (ilmuwan dari Center for International Forestry Research yang bermarkas di Bogor), menunjukkan hubungan antara pemilihan umum di daerah dan kebakaran hutan di Indonesia.

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Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's leading crude palm oil (CPO) producers and exporters, will cooperate for the development of a special economic zone on Indonesian territory to boost the palm oil industry's downstream industry. Private companies will be given incentives to invest in this zone and develop industries to process CPO into olein, a key ingredient for the production of cosmetics and margarine. Furthermore, both countries plan to establish the Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries.

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Hasil produksi minyak sawit mentah (crude palm oil/CPO) di Indonesia, produsen dan eksportir CPO terbesar di dunia, mungkin turun sebanyak 20% menjadi 27,5 juta ton di 2016 karena dampak negatif dari fenomena cuaca El Nino. Sebagai catatan positif, penurunan hasil produksi CPO di Indonesia dapat mendukung harga CPO yang telah jatuh ke level terendah selama 6,5 tahun terakhir pada 1.836 ringgit minggu lalu.

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The declining crude palm oil (CPO) price in the world market and the imposition of the USD $50 per ton export levy on CPO by the Indonesian government, effective from 16 July 2015, has severely affected Indonesian oil palm planters with the worst affected being the small holders and plasma farmers as they carry the highest production cost.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (often called Jokowi) emphasized that the government of Indonesia needs to boost development of renewable energy. Although Indonesia contains huge potential for renewable energy (particularly geothermal energy), the share of renewable energy in Indonesia’s total energy use currently stands at around 5 percent only, the remainder being fossil energy. By providing incentives, attractive tariffs and an easier licensing and registration process, the government can generate more investment in this sector.

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Walaupun Pemerintah Indonesia telah mengumumkan bahwa subsidi bahan bakar nabati dinaikkan menjadi Rp. 4,000 per liter (dari Rp 1,500 per liter pada tahun 2014) dan bioethanol menjadi Rp 3,000 per liter (dari Rp 2,000 tahun lalu) - di dalam upaya untuk melindungi industri bahan bakar nabati domestik karena biaya produksi melampaui harga pasar di tengah harga minyak sawit global yang rendah -, produsen bahan bakar nabati Indonesia berharap agar harga bahan bakar nabati nasional ditetapkan berdasarkan harga patokan selain Mean of Platts Singapore (MoPS).

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