An improving economic growth outlook in both Japan and the USA paired with stronger-than- expected growth in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) support a steady growth outlook for developing Asia, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report. The Asian Development Outlook Supplement, released on Wednesday (11/12), forecasts growth of 6.0 percent in 2013 for ADB’s 45 developing member countries, improving to 6.2 percent in 2014. The forecasts are unchanged from the Asian Development Outlook Update issued in October.

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Indonesia's domestic consumption is expected to continue its steady growth in the next five to 10 years as Indonesia's rapidly expanding middle class is becoming increasingly consumptive and eager to follow the latest trends (purchasing the latest trendy products). This expanding middle class is the result of robust economic growth in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Although currently slowing, the country's annual gross domestic product growth has reached an average of almost 6 percent since 2005.

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The latest report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), titled "Structural Policy Challenges in Indonesia", mentions that Indonesia - with an annual GDP growth projection of about 6 percent - is estimated to be the country with the highest level of economic growth among the ASEAN countries between 2014 and 2018. The report is positive about the region's economic future that lies ahead, particularly China, despite the global crisis having managed to slow down economic expansion.

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Inflation in November 2013 continued to show a decelerating trend at 0.12 percent (month-to-month) or 8.37 percent (year-on-year). Although higher compared to October 2013 inflation (0.09 percent), November inflation was lower than its historical pattern in the last five years. The low inflation rate was influenced by deflation in the volatile food group with deflation of 0.57 percent (mtm), a result of the correction in chilli prices, especially in Java and eastern region of Indonesia as well as the decline in the chicken meat price in almost all areas of Indonesia.

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Today (02/12), Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced that Indonesian inflation was recorded at 0.12 percent in November 2013. Suryamin, Head of BPS, said that the price movements of basic needs, including rice and chili, were under control in November, while other components, such as groceries and clothing, in fact recorded deflation. Compared to the month November in previous years, the 0.12 inflation rate is limited. In November 2012, inflation was recorded at 0.34 percent. Indonesia's year-on-year inflation rate now stands at 8.37 percent.

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Agus Martowardojo, Governor of Bank Indonesia, expects Indonesia's November inflation rate to be modest at 0.05 to 0.1 percent (month-to-month). If Martowardojo's expection will be met then it means that inflation in Southeast Asia's largest economy is under control as November would be the third consecutive month of low inflation (or deflation). Inflation had accelerated significantly since June 2013 after the government raised prices of subsidized fuels and might reach 9 percent (yoy) by the end of 2013.

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The Indonesian rupiah continued its downward spiral on Monday morning (25/11). The central bank's mid rate fell 0.14 percent to IDR 11,722 per US dollar. Last week, the rupiah fell amid negative market sentiments brought on by the result of the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting. The result seems to indicate that it will not take long before the quantitative easing program will be wound down. Contrary to the Australian dollar as well as the Indian rupee, news about the forthcoming financial reformation in China is unable to the support the rupiah.

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Several analysts expect that the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) will raise its key interest rate (BI rate) again in the first Semester of 2014 in order to anticipate the winding down of the Federal Reserve's monthly USD $85 billion stimulus program (quantitative easing). Currently, the BI rate is set at 7.50 percent but analysts say that the market should be prepared for a hike to 8.0 percent in the first half of 2014. Between June and November 2013, Bank Indonesia has already raised its benchmark interest rate from 5.75 to 7.50 percent.

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The Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo) expects Indonesia's car sales to increase by ten percent to 1.3 million sold vehicles for the year 2014. Growth in car sales will be particularly supported by sales in the Jakarta region, Indonesia's most densely populated area and which constitutes the country's economic and political center. In 2013, Indonesia will most likely set a new car sales record. Supported by popular low cost green car sales (LCGCs), total sales are expected to reach 1.2 million units in 2013.

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After experiencing slowing growth in recent months, Indonesian cement sales in October 2013 increased 7.9 percent (year-on-year) to 5.58 million metric tons according to data from the Indonesia Cement Association (ASI). As such, cement sales rebounded from the 5.3 percent growth (yoy) in the previous month. The October growth rate was mainly caused by increased cement demand from islands other than Java. In particular, demand from Sumatra rose significantly. Indonesia's second most populous island bought 1.15 million tons of cement.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects to see deflation in April 2016 on the back of controlled food prices as the harvest season has arrived. Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said a central bank survey shows deflation of 0.33 percent month-to-month (m/m) during the first three weeks of April. Besides lower food prices, Martowardojo also attributes April deflation to the government's decision to cut fuel prices (premium gasoline and diesel) by IDR 500 (approx. USD $0.04) per liter per 1 April. This move led to a 4 percent drop in public transportation tariffs.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced on Friday (15/04) it will adopt a new monetary tool per 19 August 2016 that is to replace the existing BI rate which is considered too inefficient to influence market liquidity as it is not directly tied to Indonesia's money markets. The seven-day reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo), which stood at 5.50 percent in the central bank's last auction, is to become the nation's new benchmark. Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo, who communicated through a teleconference from Washington DC, emphasized that the central bank will not change its monetary stance.

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To assess Indonesia's purchasing power and consumer confidence it is always useful to take a look at car and motorcycle sales because when people are confident about their financial situation and have enough money to spend then they tend to buy cars and motorcycles (motorcycles are particularly popular among Indonesia's huge middle to lower-middle class segment). Meanwhile, cement sales inform about property and infrastructure development. Property development is also closely related to purchasing power and consumer confidence because property development grows when people's demand for property rises.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects to see deflation at 0.15 percent month-to-month (m/m) in February 2016. Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said lower (government) administered prices in combination with low core inflation will be the recipe for deflation in the second month of the year. The lower administered prices that are primarily the cause of deflation consist of fuel prices, air fares and 12-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters. In the first month of the year Indonesian inflation accelerated to 4.14 percent (y/y).

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Tomorrow (05/02), Statistics Indonesia is scheduled to release Indonesia's official full-year 2015 economic growth figure. Nearly all analysts expect to see a figure that reflects the continuation of slowing economic growth. Southeast Asia's largest economy expanded 5.0 percent in 2014 and this is expected to have eased further to 4.7 percent or 4.8 percent in 2015 on the back of (interrelated) sluggish global growth, low commodity prices, and weak export performance. Domestically, Indonesia has or had to cope with high interest rates and inflation (hence curtailing people's purchasing power and consumption as well as business expansion).

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New York-based financial services firm Standard & Poor's stated that Indonesia's banking industry will feel the negative impact of Indonesia's sluggish economic growth in combination with persistently low commodity prices next year. This combination may weaken profitability of the nation's banking industry. S&P puts Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 at 5 percent (y/y), below the International Monetary Fund's and World Bank's forecast as well as the central government's target, all at 5.3 percent (y/y).

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Today, the World Bank released the latest edition of its flagship publication Indonesia Economic Quarterly, entitled "Reforming amid Uncertainty". In this edition the Washington-based institution states that global conditions remain unfavorable despite financial markets having stabilized since October. Meanwhile, the country was negatively affected by severe man-made forest fires and toxic haze which cost Indonesia an estimated IDR 221 trillion (USD $16 billion or 1.9 percent of the country's gross domestic product) in five months.

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After having experienced two consecutive months of deflation in September and October, Indonesia is expected to see inflation again in November, primarily on higher food prices (chicken meat and rice). Agus Martowardojo, Governor of Bank Indonesia, expects an inflation rate of 0.2 percent (month-on-month) in November. This would mean that inflation in full-year 2015 is likely to reach 3 percent (y/y), in line with earlier estimates and within - or perhaps slightly below - Bank Indonesia's target range of 3 - 5 percent (y/y) of inflation in 2015.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) relatively high in order to safeguard Indonesia's financial stability in 2016 (instead of seeking accelerated economic growth through a rate cut). Despite easing pressures on inflation and the country's current account balance, Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said that persistent global uncertainty (referring to the looming US Fed Fund Rate hike and China's slowdown) justifies the tight monetary stance.

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As Indonesia's inflation rate has eased to 6.25 percent (y/y) in October 2015 from 6.83 percent (y/y) in the previous month, and given that Indonesian inflation will ease more markedly in the last two months of 2015 as the impact of the subsidized fuel price hike in November 2014 will vanish, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) seems to have more scope to cut its current relatively high benchmark interest rate, hence giving rise to accelerated economic activity.

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