During his state visit to the USA, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told US President Barack Obama that Indonesia intends to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Currently, 12 countries have joined the TPP, including the USA and Japan, thus creating the world's largest free trade area (an area that covers about 40 percent of world trade). By many analysts the TPP is regarded a counterbalance to the big economic influence of China.

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Paket kebijakan ekonomi kedua Indonesia di bulan September, diumumkan pada hari Selasa (29/09), menerima sambutan yang lebih hangat dari para pelaku pasar dibandingkan dengan yang pertama (diterbitkan pada 9 September), dibuktikan dengan rebound saham dan penguatan nilai tukar rupiah kemarin. Paket kebijakan terbaru Indonesia mencakup pemotongan pajak bunga untuk para eksportir, percepatan perizinan investasi untuk investasi di kompleks industri, dan pelonggaran pajak untuk impor barang-barang modal kompleks industri dan industri penerbangan.

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Presiden Joko Widodo, dikenal dengan panggilan Jokowi, akan mengumumkan paket kebijakan ekonomi kedua pada hari Selasa (29/09) di Istana Negara di Jakarta sesuai dengan pernyataan Menteri Koordinator Bidang Perekonomian Darmin Nasution. Menurut laporan, paket kedua akan berfokus terutama pada mendongkrak daya saing ekspor Indonesia dan daya tarik Indonesia sebagai tempat tujuan investasi.

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Ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the two-day policy meeting which starts today (16/09), the US dollar continues to appreciate against most currencies, including the Indonesian rupiah, as investors remain cautious ahead of a possible US interest rate hike. By 09:36 am local Jakarta time, the rupiah had depreciated 0.29 percent to IDR 14,450 per US dollar according to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, a fresh 17-year low.

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On Wednesday afternoon, Indonesian President Joko Widodo unveiled some details of the new economic policy package, involving major deregulation measures, that had been announced last week by Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution. This package aims - on the medium to long term - to boost Indonesia’s sluggish economy.

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Indonesia telah membatalkan pengembangan jalur kereta berkecepatan tinggi antara Ibukota Jakarta dan Bandung (Jawa Barat) karena Presiden Joko Widodo memutuskan bahwa Indonesia tidak membutuhkan sebuah kereta yang bisa mencapai kecepatan lebih dari 300 kilometer (km) per jam untuk rute yang relatif singkat (150 km) di antara kedua kota. Selain jarak yang pendek, juga akan ada sekitar 14 stasiun yang didirikan di antara dua stasiun terminal, mengimplikasikan bahwa kereta ini perlu direm berkali-kali sebelum bisa mencapai kecepatan maksimumnya.

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The government of Indonesia is still busy preparing the policy package that was announced last week by Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution. Earlier it was reported that this stimulus package, expected to be finalized this month, involves deregulation and tax holidays designed to boost economic activity in Indonesia as well as to attract foreign currency inflows. The government will also look at how it can provide incentives to accelerate smelter development in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

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Beberapa minggu lalu, telah dilaporkan bahwa Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo meminta Menteri Tenaga Kerja & Transmigrasi Hanif Dhakiri untuk merevisi draft peraturan (dibuat di tahun 2013) yang mengharuskan para ekspatriat lulus tes penguasaan Bahasa Indonesia sebagai persyaratan mendapatkan izin kerja. Menurut Widodo, peraturan ini akan mengurangi daya tarik iklim investasi Indonesia.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants to drop the regulation that states a foreign worker needs to learn Indonesian. Today (21/08), Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said President Widodo (often called Jokowi) requested Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, to revise this regulation (that was issued in 2013). According to Jokowi the language proficiency requirement would make Indonesia’s investment climate less competitive and could therefore hamper much-needed investment.

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On Friday (14/08) the Indonesian government unveiled its 2016 State Budget draft at a session in the House of Representatives (DPR). The draft is important as it shows government targets regarding the macroeconomy of Indonesia and it shows on what fields the government will focus in terms of public spending. The government - led by Indonesian President Joko Widodo - is optimistic that economic growth will finally rebound after four years of slowing economic growth as its 2016 GDP growth target was set at 5.5 percent (y/y).

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It was a very exciting afternoon and evening on Friday (09 August 2018), especially for those who follow contemporary Indonesian politics as well as those who love sinetron (Indonesian soap operas) since there occurred plenty of drama. At the end of the day it became clear that two pairs (consisting of a presidential and vice-presidential candidate) will compete in the 2019 presidential election: (1) Joko Widodo and Ma'ruf Amin versus (2) Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.

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Indonesia's 2019 presidential election is likely to become another battle between incumbent President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Gerindra party Chairman Prabowo Subianto. Both men had already been engaged in a fierce contest in 2014, one that was only narrowly won by Jokowi. On Wednesday evening (11/04) Subianto formally accepted the mandate of the Gerindra party to compete as presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election (scheduled for 17 April 2019).

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At a special occasion at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged local banks to become more aggressive in terms of lending as credit disbursement in Indonesia's banking sector only reached IDR 4,782 trillion (approx. USD $349 billion) in 2017, hence growing by only a modest 8.3 percent year-on-year (y/y), thus unable to provide an optimal boost to domestic economic growth.

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It was a solid year for the Indonesian economy. The macroeconomic fundamentals of the nation have strengthened due to the hard work of the Indonesian government under the leadership of President Joko Widodo. However, there is no room for complacency as there remain major bottlenecks, while legislative and presidential elections - in which voters can approve or disapprove Widodo's performance - are scheduled for 2019.

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Investors will need to keep an eye on Indonesia's political years of 2018 (regional elections) and 2019 (legislative elections) as the outcomes can have a big impact on the investment climate and business climate of Indonesia. Most eyes will be on the legislative and presidential elections of 2019.

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Nico Afinta, Head of the Jakarta Police's Narcotics Unit, said the number of drug users in Indonesia is estimated to have grown up to 5 million people. They are particularly centered in Jakarta (where it is estimated that up to 1 million people use illegal drugs) and Bali. Afinta added that the high number of drug users makes Indonesia an attractive market for drug smugglers or traffickers, particularly as law enforcement in Indonesia is generally weak. Therefore, tough action is required.

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Around the globe media reported about the controversial decision of the Jakarta Court to hand a two-year prison sentence to former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as Ahok), a much tougher sentence than had been demanded by prosecutors. Ahok, a Christian from Chinese descent, was imprisoned on grounds of blasphemy. However, most analysts assume Ahok is victim of a flawed and corrupt political and judicial system.

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After having carefully followed the 2017 gubernatorial election in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta, there are a couple of worrying signs. One, the rising influence of hardline Islam on Indonesian politics (and prosecution). Two, the rising influence of a handful of Indonesian "billionaire" businessmen, led by controversial Prabowo Subianto, who seek the highest political power within Southeast Asia's largest economy. Three, the cooperation between the two aforementioned forces as they each strive to fulfill their (separate) ambitions.

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Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, visited Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday morning (20/04) at the presidential palace in Jakarta as part of Pence's Asia-Pacific tour (15-25 April 2017). Main goals of Pence's visit to several Asia-Pacific nations are to enhance diplomatic relations, improve regional security cooperation, and seek fairer trade. Pence arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday evening, directly from Japan where he emphasized US commitment to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions.

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The state visit of French President François Hollande to Indonesia, part of his Southeast Asian tour and the first visit to Indonesia by a French president since François Mitterrand in 1986, resulted in several agreements. On Wednesday (29/03) Hollande met Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta with the aim to strengthen bilateral relations between both nations. Hollande was accompanied by French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Digital Sector and Innovation Minister Christophe Sirugue, parliament members and 40 business representatives.

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