• Update Indonesia: Interest Rate, Fuel Subsidies & Current Account Deficit

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced today (after the Board of Governors’ meeting) that it keeps the benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent. The lending facility rate and the deposit rate are maintained at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. Agus Martowardojo, Governor of Bank Indonesia, said that interest rates were maintained as the country’s current account deficit narrowed to 3.07 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2014.

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  • Footwear & Shoe Industry of Indonesia: Sales Fall in Q3-2014

    Domestic sales of footwear in Indonesia declined 20 percent (y/y) to IDR 4.8 trillion (USD $393 million) in the third quarter of 2014 according to data from the Indonesian Footwear Association (Asosiasi Persepatuan Indonesia, abbreviated Aprisindo). Meanwhile, exports of Indonesian footwear declined as well but not as much as domestic sales. In fact, in terms of value, footwear exports increased due to the rupiah exchange rate that has depreciated considerably against the US dollar.

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  • Company Profile of Blue Bird: Indonesia’s Largest Taxi Operator

    Indonesia Investments updated the company profile of Indonesia’s largest taxi operator. Blue Bird - the dominating market leader in Indonesia’s taxi services market - recently conducted an IPO on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, raising IDR 2.4 trillion (USD $200 million) by selling around 14 percent of its enlarged share capital. With an expanding population, a rapidly growing middle class, a low taxi penetration ratio, an urbanizing society, and lack of decent public transportation, demand for taxi services has been growing in Indonesia.

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  • Higher Fuel Prices in Indonesia Are Consumers' Top Concern

    Indonesian consumers are concerned about the looming subsidized fuel price hike this month according to the latest survey of Nielsen, a global information and measurement company. Based on the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions (covering the third quarter of 2014), 28% of respondents said that higher prices of subsidized fuels are among their top two main concerns. In the previous survey (which covered Q2-2014), the subsidized fuel price hike was not even mentioned among the top five concerns.

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