The Today's Headlines section of Indonesia Investments is a regularly updated section which contains the latest information with regard to topics that are currently causing headlines in Indonesia's media. Most of our headlines cover political, economic and social matters. As a consequence of their recent nature, these topics may not have crystallized fully yet and can, therefore, lack a profound analysis. For publications with a more in-depth understanding of subjects, we refer you to our News, Financial or Business columns.
Indonesian cigarette manufacturer Gudang Garam will raise prices of its tobacco products if the central government goes ahead with its plans to introduce another cigarette excise tax hike at the start of 2018. This statement was made by Gudang Garam Director Istata Siddharta.
Indonesia experienced 0.07 percent deflation on a monthly basis in August 2017 according to the latest data from Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS). The result is in line with expectations as inflationary pressures tend to ease in Indonesia after the Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations in the June-July period. On an annual basis, Indonesian inflation eased to 3.82 percent in August.
Asian stocks are in red territory on Monday (04/09), as expected, amid heightened concerns about North Korea's nuclear program. Over the weekend the nation conducted its sixth - and most powerful - nuclear test. Even more alarming, North Korea claims it has developed a hydrogen bomb; a bomb that is more powerful than the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in World War II.
Rising output and stronger export orders caused a modest recovery in Indonesia's manufacturing sector in August 2017. Indonesia's Nikkei-Markit manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to a reading of 50.7 in August, from 48.6 in July (50.0 separates expansion from contraction in the manufacturing industry).
