17 May 2026 (closed)
Jakarta Composite Index (6,723.40) -135.32 -1.98%
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Bank Indonesia decided to raise its benchmark interest rate (BI Rate) from 4.75 percent to 5.25 percent in an effort to support the fragile rupiah rate that had hit a record low against the US dollar one day earlier (trading at around IDR 17,700 per US dollar). This is an aggressive move but one that does indeed support the Indonesian currency.
On Monday (04 May 2026), Indonesia Investments released the April 2026 edition of its monthly report. In this report we discuss key economic, political and social developments that occurred in Indonesia in April 2026.
Indonesia's Statistical Office (Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS) announced on Tuesday (5 May 2026) that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) had reached a growth rate of 5.61 percent year-on-year (y/y) in the first quarter of 2026 (Q1-2026).
Indonesia imports the vast majority of the liquified petroleum gas (LPG) it consumes. This obviously drains the foreign exchange reserves. But considering Indonesia has massive coal reserves, the gasification of coal can be an interesting alternative. By converting low-quality domestic coal into Dimethyl Ether (DME), the country can reduce purchases of expensive LPG from overseas.
