Indonesia’s trade balance swung back into a surplus in October 2019. Statistics Indonesia (BPS), which released the country’s latest trade data on 15 November 2019, reported a USD $161 million trade surplus for Indonesia in October. It is an improvement from the USD $164 million trade deficit the country had experienced in the preceding month, and a huge improvement from the USD $1.76 billion trade deficit in the same month one year earlier (October 2018).

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It is assumed by many that the Indonesian government does not make efficient use of the annual state budgets. This is also the reason why Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated recently that one of his key ambitions for the next five years is to make more efficient use of the state budget (“each rupiah of the state budget needs to be used productively”).

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For the past couple of years we have often heard high government officials in Indonesia say that the country’s corporate income tax (in Indonesian: Pajak Penghasilan Badan, or PPh badan) is planned to be cut in an effort to attract more direct investment.

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Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many people start the day with a cup of coffee or have one – or more – cups of coffee at the office as its caffeine content prevents the onset (or continuation) of drowsiness, while other consumers like to enjoy a cup of coffee when relaxing at home, or, with friends in a café or coffee shop.

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