Indonesia Investments Report - May 2021 Edition: Road to Net Zero Emissions
Update COVID-19 in Indonesia: 1,769,940 confirmed infections, 49,205 deaths (22 May 2021)
7 June 2021 (closed)
USD/IDR (14,146) -6.00 -0.04%
EUR/IDR (17,335) +57.05 +0.33%
Jakarta Composite Index (6,069.94) +4.77 +0.08%
Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.
Today's Headlines Inflation
While Indonesian inflation accelerated more than we had predicted amid the festive season in May 2021 (referring to the Idul Fitri celebrations that mark the end of the Ramadan month), it remained low overall for Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
On Wednesday (05.05.2021) Indonesia Investments released the April 2021 edition of its monthly report. In the report we track important developments - from the perspective of politics, the economy and social matters - that were influential (and impacted on the Indonesian economy) last month.
In line with expectations, Indonesia’s inflation rate remained low despite the start of the Ramadan in the second week of April 2021. While the Ramadan typically gives rise to a big spike in food prices, the COVID-19 crisis has curbed demand in society.
Weak demand across Indonesia, a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis, persisted into the second month of 2021 with Indonesia’s consumer price index (CPI) showing a modest inflation rate of 0.10 percent month-on-month (m/m) in February 2021.
Indonesia’s December 2020 headline inflation accelerated slightly more than we had expected. Based on the latest data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) this is particularly caused by rising food prices in the context of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In line with expectations, October 2020 brought mild inflation to Indonesia, thereby allowing the country’s consumer price index (CPI) to rebound after experiencing an unprecedented three consecutive months of deflation (July-September 2020).
For the third straight month Indonesia experienced mild deflation. According to the latest data from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), Indonesia’s consumer price index (CPI) showed deflation of 0.05 percent month-on-month (m/m) in September 2020.
As we predicted last month, August 2020 brought mild deflation to Indonesia. Based on the latest data from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), the consumer price index posted deflation of 0.05 percent month-on-month (m/m).
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brings unusual times for any country, especially in terms of the economic and social environments. In the case of Indonesia it has triggered historically low headline inflation, namely 1.54 percent year-on-year (y/y) after July 2020 brought deflation of -0.10 percent month-on-month (m/m).
On Wednesday (05/08/2020) Indonesia Investments released the July 2020 edition of its monthly report. In this edition, titled 'A Modest Rebound', we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Indonesian economy, Indonesia's automotive industry, and a range of other topics.
Latest Columns Inflation
The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate depreciated 0.07 percent to IDR 12,099 per US dollar on Thursday (26/06) based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, thus extending its recent weakening trend. This trend is expected to continue further as Bank Indonesia said it would allow rupiah depreciation in order to make the country’s exports more competitive (in an attempt to curb the current account deficit). However, this also dampens demand for Indonesian bonds. The 10-year yield rose to the highest level since February 2014.
ICRA Indonesia, an independent credit rating agency and subsidiary of ICRA Ltd. (associate of Moody's Investors Service), publishes a monthly newsletter which provides an update on the financial and economic developments in Indonesia of the last month. In the May 2014 edition, a number of important topics that are monitored include Indonesia's inflation rate, the trade balance, the BI rate, the IDR rupiah exchange rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Below is an excerpt of the newsletter:
On Thursday 12 June 2014 it was decided at the central bank’s Board of Governors’ Meeting to maintain the country’s benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, with the Lending Facility rate and Deposit Facility rate held at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. This decision is consistent with ongoing efforts to steer inflation back towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4.0±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce Indonesia’s current account deficit to a more sustainable level.
Car sales in Indonesia declined 8 percent to 98,198 units in May 2014 from 106,811 units in the previous month. The Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo) said that the decline was the direct consequence of several public holidays (International Labour Day and the commemorations of Buddha’s birthday as well as ascensions of Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ). These holidays caused a lower car production rate and a reduced number of car deliveries to wholesale dealers.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the country's balance of trade in April 2014 recorded a deficit of USD $1.96 billion, after having recorded a surplus of USD $0.67 billion in March. The balance of trade performance in April 2014 was particularly affected by the country's non-oil & gas balance, which turned from a surplus into a deficit, whereas a lower deficit in the oil & gas trade balance was realized (compared to March 2014). Meanwhile, inflation in May 2014 was slightly higher at 0.16 percent (mtm) from the previous month.
Although initially the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (known as Jakarta Composite index or IHSG) fell after the market responded to today's release of Indonesia's April trade deficit and May inflation, the index ended in the green zone due to foreign net buying and general positive Asian indices (influenced by higher stock indices on Wall Street at the end of last week). Particularly Indonesia's big cap stocks in the miscellaneous industry and consumer sectors were popular as these were relatively cheap after having tumbled at the end of last week.
Today (02/06), Statistics Indonesia released various important economic data that provide more insight into the state of the Indonesian economy. Two of these indicators - inflation and trade - are discussed in this column. Head of Statistics Indonesia Suryamin announced that inflation in May 2014 rose by 0.16 percent (slightly higher than previously expected), while the April 2014 trade balance of Indonesia recorded a USD $1.96 billion deficit. These data were not well received by the market, evidenced by sharp rupiah depreciation.
The government of Indonesia will submit a new draft proposal for the 2014 Revised State Budget (APBN-P 2014) on 20 May 2014. Of the seven basic macroeconomic assumptions in the 2014 State Budget (APBN 2014), three assumptions are proposed to be revised. These involve general economic growth, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate, and crude oil lifting. The government felt that the assumptions need a revision as results in the first quarter of 2014 have not been up to expectation.
ICRA Indonesia, an independent credit rating agency and subsidiary of ICRA Ltd. (associate of Moody's Investors Service), publishes a monthly newsletter which provides an update on the financial and economic developments in Indonesia of the last month. In the April 2014 edition, a number of important topics that are monitored include Indonesia's inflation rate, the trade balance, the BI rate, the IDR rupiah exchange rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Below is an excerpt of the newsletter:
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided at today’s Bank Indonesia Board of Governors’ Meeting, convened on 8 May 2014, to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, with the Lending Facility rate and Deposit Facility rate held at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. This policy is consistent with efforts to steer the rate of inflation towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4.0±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce the current account deficit to a more sustainable level.
