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Today's Headlines Bank Indonesia

  • Bank Indonesia: Annual March Inflation Expected Below 3.83%

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects Indonesia's headline inflation to ease in March 2017 as food prices are under control and can therefore offset the inflationary pressures that are caused by administered price adjustments (higher electricity tariffs). In February 2017 Indonesia's inflation rate accelerated to 3.81 percent (y/y) due to the ongoing impact of the higher electricity tariffs that were introduced by the government in January as well as a number of big floods that curtailed distribution channels across parts of Sumatra and Java.

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  • Stock Market Indonesia: Jakarta Composite Index at Record High

    Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index finished at an all-time record level on Friday (17/03), supported by mostly rising Asian stocks as global investors are attracted again by higher-yielding assets in emerging markets after the US Federal Reserve turned out to be not as "hawkish" as market participants had assumed. Indeed the Fed raised its key Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points at the March policy meeting but the US central bank emphasized that further interest rate hikes would be gradual.

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  • Bank Indonesia Also Expects US Interest Rate Hike in March 2017

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is also among the many institutions or market participants that expect the Federal Reserve to raise its Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points at the coming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting (14-15 March 2017). This move should put some temporary pressure on the Indonesian rupiah (as Indonesia will most likely see capital outflows) and therefore Bank Indonesia sees few to none room for additional monetary easing in Southeast Asia's largest economy in the remainder of this year.

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  • Indonesia's Foreign Exchange Reserves Rise in February 2017

    Bank Indonesia, the central bank of Indonesia, announced that the nation's foreign exchange reserves had grown to USD 119.9 billion at end-February 2017, up from USD $116.9 billion in the preceding month (and the third straight month of growth). The increase was primarily attributed to foreign exchange receipts, which includes tax revenues and the government's oil & gas export proceeds. The rise was also possible on the back of the withdrawal of government foreign loans as well as the auction of Bank Indonesia foreign exchange bills (SBBI).

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  • Non Performing Loans (NPLs) May Rise in Indonesia's Banking Sector

    Chances are big that the banking sector of Indonesia will see the non performing loan (NPL) ratio rise up to the range of 3.0 - 3.5 percent in 2017. Anton Gunawan, Chief Economist at state-controlled Bank Mandiri, says the rising NPL ratio is not so much caused by the lower quality of credit in Indonesia's banking system. The bigger problem is rising "special mention" loans, a loan grade that refers to assets that pose potential weaknesses that require close attention.

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  • Bank Indonesia Cuts Economic Growth Forecast for Quarter 1-2017

    The central bank of Indonesia cut its outlook for Indonesia's economic growth in the first quarter of 2017. Earlier, the lender of last resort estimated Indonesia's Q1-2017 gross domestic product (GDP) at 5.05 percent year-on-year (y/y). Although the new growth projection has not been unveiled yet, Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said it sees GDP growth now below 5.05 percent (y/y) in the first quarter of the year.

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  • Bank Indonesia: Current Account Deficit at 2.4% of GDP in 2017

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects Indonesia's current account deficit (CAD) to widen to 2.4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), or about USD $23 billion, in 2017. Therefore, Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said the CAD remains one of the bigger challenges for Indonesia in the foreseeable future. In 2016 the nation's CAD had in fact eased to 1.8 percent of GDP (or USD $17 billion) on the back of a big improvement in the last quarter of 2016.

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  • Bank Indonesia Sees Widening Current Account Deficit in 2017

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects the nation's current account deficit to widen to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 due to expectation of rising imports in Indonesia this year. These rising imports come on the back of growing investment realization in Southeast Asia's largest economy. This projection is significantly higher compared to the estimated USD $17 billion, or 1.8 percent of GDP, current account deficit in 2016.

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  • Foreign Exchange Reserves of Indonesia Rise in December 2016

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced that the nation's foreign exchange reserves climbed to USD $116.4 billion at the end of December 2016, up from USD $111.5 billion one month earlier. Growth was attributed to foreign exchange receipts, primarily stemming from the issuance of government global bonds debt securities, the withdrawal of government foreign loans, tax revenues and oil & gas export proceeds, that all surpassed the use of foreign exchange for government external debt repayments and Bank Indonesia's maturing foreign exchange bills.

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  • FY 2016 Inflation to Fall Within Bank Indonesia's Target

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects inflation to reach the range of 0.50-0.60 percent month-on-month (m/m) in December 2016 as Christmas and New Year celebrations, traditionally, give rise to higher consumer spending. The projection would also imply that full-year inflation will fall well within Bank Indonesia's target range of 3.0 - 5.0 percent (y/y) in 2016 (year-to-date, Indonesian inflation has accumulated to 2.59 percent), the second straight year of mild inflation (for Indonesian standards).

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Latest Columns Bank Indonesia

  • Currency Markets: Bank of Indonesia Guiding USD/IDR

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) has made some important decisions under the current Governor Agus Martowardojo. Here, Bank Indonesia has been directed toward achieving the responsibility of making financial decisions that promote consumer price stability over the long-term. This has resulted in widespread gains in the rupiah against a basket of world currencies -- including the US dollar. But recent rate cuts now have the potential to reverse these broader trends.

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  • Projection for Credit Growth in Indonesia Cut Again

    Bank Indonesia cut its projection for credit growth in the nation's banking sector this year from the range of 10 - 11 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 7 - 9 percent (y/y). This downward revision is in line with the central bank's earlier decision to cut its forecast for economic growth from the range of 5.0 - 5.4 percent (y/y) to 4.9 - 5.3 percent (y/y) in 2016. The slightly less rosy outlook is caused by the Indonesian government's decision to cut spending for the remainder of the year, while global economic growth remains subdued.

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  • Bank Indonesia Adopts 7-Day Reverse Repo, Kept at 5.25%

    The central bank of Indonesia kept the BI seven-day reverse repo rate (7-day RR Rate) at 5.25 percent after its two-day August policy meeting (18-19 august 2016). At this policy meeting Bank Indonesia adopted the 7-day RR Rate as the nation's new benchmark monetary tool, replacing the BI rate that failed to influence markets significantly: despite the BI Rate having been cut from 7.50 percent to 6.50 percent so far this year, Indonesia's lending rates did not drop accordingly.

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  • Bank Indonesia to Adopt 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate at August Policy Meeting

    This week the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is set to adopt the seven-day reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo) as the nation's new benchmark monetary tool at the August policy meeting (18/19 August), thus replacing the existing BI rate that is considered too weak to have an immediate and significant impact on Indonesia's borrowing costs and market liquidity. Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo informed that the central bank has been holding road shows to financial centers across the nation (and abroad) to provide detailed information about the new benchmark.

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  • Indonesia's Monetary & Fiscal Policies Require More Harmony

    At its latest monthly policy meeting the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) left its interest rate regime unchanged with the benchmark BI rate at 6.50 percent (this month the bank is set to adopt the seven-day reverse repurchase rate - reverse repo - as the new benchmark rate). Bank Indonesia's decision to leave interest rates unchanged was a surprise move given that the nation's inflation is low, the rupiah is strengthening, but overall economic growth has remained sluggish. This context would actually justify a moderate interest rate cut of 25 basis points.

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  • Consumer Price Index Indonesia: July Inflation Expected at 1%

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects Indonesia's inflation to reach slightly below 1 percent month-to-month (m/m) in July 2016. According to central bank surveys, Indonesia's inflation accelerated in the first and second week of July by 1.18 percent (m/m) and 1.25 percent (m/m), respectively. Juda Agung, Executive Director of Bank Indonesia's Economic and Monetary Policy Department, said inflation tends to peak ahead of - and during - the Idul Fitri holiday (4-8 July) but is set to ease in the third and fourth week.

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  • Bank Indonesia Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged at July Policy Meeting

    Contrary to expectations, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) left its monetary policy unchanged at the July policy meeting. The benchmark interest rate (BI rate) was kept at 6.50 percent, while the deposit facility rate and lending facility rate were kept at 4.50 percent and 7.00 percent, respectively. The 7-day reverse repurchase rate, which is set to become the central bank's new benchmark on 19 August 2016 - replacing the BI rate - was left at 5.25 percent.

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  • Bank Indonesia's Loosening Monetary Policy: Impact of Lower Interest Rates

    In the first three policy meetings of 2016, Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) cut its benchmark BI rate gradually yet aggressively from 7.50 percent to 6.75 percent as inflation, the rupiah rate and Indonesia's current account deficit were regarded as 'under control'. At the same time, Indonesia's lender of last resort acknowledged the BI rate has failed to influence borrowing costs and market liquidity effectively and therefore decided to adopt the seven-day reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo) as the nation's new benchmark starting from August 2016.

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  • Bank Indonesia Revises Down 2016 Economic Growth Projection

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) revised down its projection for Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 to the range of 5.0 - 5.4 percent (y/y), slightly below its previous forecast in the range of 5.2 - 5.6 percent (y/y). Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said the central bank decided to trim its projection for gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year due to sluggish global economic growth, low commodity prices, and Indonesia's slightly disappointing Q1-2016 GDP growth figure at 4.92 percent (y/y).

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  • Update Indonesia's Q1-2016 Balance of Payments & Current Account

    Indonesia's balance of payments registered a deficit in the first quarter of 2016. Based on the latest data from Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia), the deficit stood at USD $287 million in Q1-2016, down from a USD $1.3 billion surplus in the same quarter last year. The balance of payments deficit was the result of the nation's Q1-2016 capital and financial transaction surpluses (USD $4.17 billion) not being able to cover the current account deficit (CAD). Indonesia's Q1-2016 CAD shrank to USD $4.67 billion, or 2.14 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

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