A coalition of civil society groups is ready to challenge Indonesia's new mining rules at the Supreme Court next week, specifically those rules that impact negatively on the longstanding Contracts of Work (Kontrak Karya) as well as the (re-)opening of nickel ore and bauxite exports. Late last week, the Indonesian government announced to ease the controversial ban on exports of mineral ore. The government was immediately criticized for this "flip-flop policy". The move could flood global markets and put pressure on prices.

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The government of Indonesia revised rules regarding the ban on unprocessed ore exports. Originally, Southeast Asia's largest economy (a key exporter of natural resources) planned to ban exports of mineral ore per 12 January 2014 in a bid to encourage the development of domestic higher value smelting facilities (part of the New Mining Law that was unveiled in 2009). However, a three-year delay was announced (through a presidential regulation) on the evening before the ban would be imposed as local processing capacity was still insufficient. Now, three years later, there have been more revisions.

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Entrepreneurs in Indonesia urge the central government to provide clarity about the ban on exports of unprocessed minerals that is set to be implemented on 12 January 2017, provided the government will not alter its policy. Initially, the full ban would be introduced on 12 January 2014 in an effort to boost the downstream mining industries (hence becoming an exporter of mining products that are positioned higher in the value chain rather than remaining dependent on raw materials that are very vulnerable to volatile price movements).

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Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Luhut Pandjaitan informed local media that the government of Indonesia may allow more time for the nation's miners to build smelting facilities. Law No. 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining originally banned mineral ore exports from Indonesia by January 2014 (forcing miners to process the material domestically into value-added products first). However, due to the lack of adequate smelting facilities this ban was delayed by three years (January 2017).

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Production of heavy equipment in Indonesia continues to slide. In the first half of 2016 Indonesia produced a total of 1,471 heavy equipment units, down 35 percent (y/y) from 2,256 units in the same period one year earlier. Meanwhile, utilization of the nation's installed heavy equipment production capacity plunged from 40 percent to 30 percent over the same period. Overall, the heavy equipment sector of Indonesia has been plagued by weak conditions in the mining and agriculture sectors. The construction sector now forms the main source of heavy equipment sales.

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Again a big western mining company plans to exit Indonesia. US-based Newmont Mining Corp reportedly agreed to sell its 48.5 percent stake in copper and gold miner Newmont Nusa Tenggara (the operator of the Batu Hijau mine) for USD $1.3 billion (including contingent payment of up to USD $403 million). The stake is set to be sold to Amman Mineral Internasional. Newmont Chief Executive Gary Goldberg said the move is in line with the company's commitment to lower debt and fund its higher margin mining projects in order to create value for shareholders.

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Business activities at Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT), one of Indonesia’s largest copper miners, could be disrupted as the subsidiary of US-based mining company Newmont Mining Corp is yet to obtain a recommendation letter (from Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry) to renew its 6-month copper concentrate export permit (which expired on 20 May 2016). The recommendation from the Energy Ministry is needed to obtain the export permit from Indonesia's Trade Ministry.

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Copper and gold miner Newmont Nusa Tenggara, the local unit of US-based mining giant Newmont Mining Corp, requested for a new recommendation letter from Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. This recommendation letter is required to extend Newmont's six-month copper concentrate export permit at the nation's Trade Ministry. This would be the fourth time Newmont's export permit is extended. Whether Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry issues the export recommendation letter depends on progress made with the construction of smelting facilities.

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There is still no agreement between Indonesia and Freeport Indonesia regarding the sale of a 10.64 percent stake in Freeport Indonesia. Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources objected to the USD $1.7 billion asking price for the stake in Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan. Based on Indonesian Government Regulation No. 77/2014 on the Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities, Freeport Indonesia is required to divest a 30 percent stake (to an Indonesian party) before 2019.

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Having been the center of negative attention for quite some years now, Indonesia's coal mining sector has given some room for speculation that conditions will improve. Indonesia's coal price (Harga Batubara Acuan, abbreviated HBA), a monthly price set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry and mostly based on the average of global coal prices, rose 1.3 percent (m/m) to USD $51.62 per ton in March 2016. Although it is much too early to start speculating about a sustained rebound, the increase is remarkable as it is the first time in exactly one year that the HBA manages to rise.

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The Jakarta Composite Index (Indonesia's benchmark stock index which is also known as the IHSG) gained 0.53 percent on Friday (29/11) and ended on 4,256.43 points. Today's trading day was relatively quiet with a transaction value of only IDR 3.30 trillion (USD $276.50 million). Foreign net buying of Indonesian shares supported the IHSG index to end this month's last trading day on a positive note. Sectors that performed well were agriculture (+2.18 percent), construction (+1.27 percent), and mining (+0.99 percent).

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Indonesia Investments presents a selection of corporate earnings reports (third quarter 2013) of Indonesian companies that are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, categorized by sector: (1) agriculture & mining, (2) basic industry and chemicals, (3) miscellaneous industry, (4) consumer goods, (5) property and real estate, (6) infrastructure, utilities and transportation, (7) finance, and (8) trade, services and investment. The tables display both net profit (loss) and revenues over the first nine months of 2013, together with year-on-year (yoy) growth.

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The Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG), the benchmark stock index of Indonesia, gained 0.61 percent and ended on 4,546.57 on Friday (18/10). Stock trade showed a consolidating trend with the value of transactions in the regular market amounting to IDR 4.39 trillion (USD $388.5 million). Considering the full trading week, the IHSG gained 0.60 percent with an average daily transaction value of IDR 4.18 trillion. This value is below the previous week's average of IDR 4,36 trillion.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) rebounded on Tuesday (03/09) amid rising Asian stock indices inflicted by optimism about economic recovery in China and the USA. The IHSG rose 1.53 percent to 4,164.12 points. Agribusiness and mining stocks were the top performers today, while the miscellaneous industry, which fell 0.09 percent, was the only sectoral index on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) that was down. The rupiah depreciated against the US dollar as investors are concerned about July's USD $2.3 billion current account deficit.

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Rising Asian stock indices from the start of the week have supported Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) to follow suit on Tuesday (13/08). Despite mixed markets in the United States and Europe, the IHSG grew 1.19 percent to 4,652.40 points. Japan's Nikkei index, which weakened seriously after the country's disappointing Q2 GDP result, rebounded and had a positive impact on the IHSG. Lastly, positive European openings made sure the IHSG would stay in the green zone.

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In line with the trend in the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) fell 1.68 percent to 4,580.47 on Monday (29/07). All sectoral indices weakened. The worst performing sectoral indices were mining, consumer goods and miscellaneous industries, falling 2.44 percent, 2.30 percent and 2.08 percent respectively. The value of transactions was also rather small at IDR 3.12 trillion (USD $305.9 million), while foreign investors continued to record net sales amounting to IDR 379.3 billion (USD $37.2 million). 

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As I wrote before, profit taking in combination with mixed movements of global stock indices resulted in the limited movement of Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) on Monday (22/07). The IHSG was corrected 0.96 percent to 4,678.98. All of the sectoral indices weakened, except for the plantation and mining sectors. As there were no positive news publications that would make investors buy assets, they decided to engage in profit taking after the IHSG had risen for five consecutive days.

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Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) increased 3.98 points to close at 4,724.41 on the last trading day (19/07). During last week, the index rose a limited 1.97 percent amid the context of a weakening IDR rupiah (Indonesia's currency even fell below the psychological boundary of IDR 10,000 against the US dollar). The IHSG's performance last week was mainly supported by rising shares in the country's finance, property, construction and metal mining sectors, while the cement and plantation sectors were corrected.

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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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There has been quite some commotion regarding Indonesia's mining industry in recent years. The New Mining Law of 2009 implied a number of rigorous changes that are controversial up to the present day. The law was designed to increase Indonesia's profits from its own abundant natural resources, a sector in which many foreign companies are active. For foreigners the new law contains a number of protectionist measures that make Indonesia's mining industry less appealing.

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