Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines BI Rate

  • Stock Market Update Indonesia: Jakarta Composite Index at 14-Month High

    It was another impressive day at the office for the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) surged 1.35 percent to 5,242.82 points on Wednesday (21/07). After Thailand's benchmark index, the Jakarta Composite Index was the best performing index in Asia today. Overall, Asian markets were mixed as most investors seem to reassess the global economy after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to cut its global growth outlook (modestly) on Tuesday (19/07).

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  • Bank Indonesia Cuts Key Interest Rate (BI Rate) to 6.50% in June

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) cut its key interest rate (BI rate) by 0.25 percentage point to 6.50 percent at Thursday's policy meeting (16/06). Although the central bank had stated at its preceding policy meeting that there remained room for monetary easing, today's move was a surprise that few analysts saw coming. The 7-day reverse repurchase rate, which is set to become the central bank's new benchmark rate on 19 August, was also cut by 25 basis points (to 5.25 percent) at today's policy meeting.

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  • Indonesia Investments' Newsletter of 24 April 2016 Released

    On 24 April 2016, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website over the last seven days. Most of the topics involve political and economic matters such as Joko Widodo's visit to Europe, the monetary policy of Bank Indonesia, Indonesia's Gini ratio, the palm oil and coal sectors, foreign ownership of property in Indonesia, the problems surrounding infrastructure spending in Indonesia, and more.

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  • Bank Indonesia Keeps Key BI Rate at 6.75% in April Policy Meeting

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) kept its key interest rate (BI rate) at 6.75 percent at the April policy meeting. This decision was in line with expectations. During the three policy meetings conducted in the January-March 2016 period Bank Indonesia had already cut its BI rate by a combined 75 basis points as inflation and the current account deficit are under control, while the Indonesian rupiah has been strengthening against the US dollar since the start of 2016. Last week, Bank Indonesia announced it will adopt the seven-day reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo) to replace the existing BI rate as the bank's key monetary tool.

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  • Credit Growth in Indonesia Grows at Slowest Pace in 6 Years

    Credit disbursement in Indonesia's banking sector grew at its slowest pace in six years in the first quarter of 2016. This weak performance is attributed to the slowdown in the country's real sector. Muliaman D. Hadad, Chairman of Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), said credit expansion grew 10 percent (y/y) to IDR 4,084 billion (approx. USD $300 billion) in Q1-2016. However, Hadad remains optimistic that credit expansion will accelerate in the second half of the year in line with forecasts for accelerating GDP growth. This will be a better context for businesses to expand.

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  • Bank Indonesia to Adopt 7-Day Reverse Repurchase Rate as Key Monetary Tool

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) plans to adopt a new tool of monetary policy that is to replace the existing benchmark interest rate (BI rate). On Friday (15/04), Bank Indonesia will announce and elaborate on the new policy. Earlier, Indonesia's central bank said it was studying the implementation of a seven-day reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo) as the nation's new benchmark that is to influence borrowing costs and market liquidity more effectively. The new policy would mean Bank Indonesia sells securities with an agreement to buy them back within a seven-day period.

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  • Bank Indonesia Positive about Banking Sector in 2016, Fitch Doubts

    The banking sector of Indonesia is expected to rebound in 2016 due to the lower primary reserve requirement ratio for rupiah deposits (6.5 percent), lower cost of funds as well as operational costs, rising credit volume (due to the lower interest rate environment) and improving purchasing power. The banking sector is also expected to feel the positive impact of the stimulus packages unveiled by the Indonesian government aimed at strengthening domestic businesses and improve the investment climate. And lastly, banks are to benefit from the government's push for infrastructure development.

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  • Fitch Ratings & Gaikindo Expect Indonesia's Car Sales to Rebound

    Domestic car sales in Indonesia are expected to rebound in the second half of 2016 in line with Indonesia's improving macro-economy. Jongkie Sugiarto, Chairman of the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), is optimistic that the small drop in Indonesia's February car sales is a sign that the sales decline is stabilizing. In February 2016 a total of 88,250 cars were sold in Indonesia, down 0.6 percent (y/y) from car sales in the same month one year earlier. Fitch Ratings also expects Indonesian car sales to rebound this year.

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  • Bank Indonesia's Rate Cut Boosts Optimism for Economic Growth

    In the first three monthly policy meetings this year (January-March) the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) cut borrowing costs by a total of 75 basis points. Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) was cut from 7.50 percent at the year-start to 6.75 percent at Thursday's Board of Governors' meeting. The overnight deposit facility rate and lending facility rate were also cut by 75 basis points, each, in the first three months. The lower interest rate environment in Indonesia signals that the financial fundamentals are strong. This is partly reason behind strong inflows of foreign capital into Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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  • Indonesian Stocks & Rupiah Expected to Strengthen Sharply Today

    Stock markets in Asia as well as Asian emerging market currencies should perform well today after the US Federal Reserve left rates unchanged at its March policy meeting. Moreover, the central bank of the world's largest economy stated that it expects fewer rate hikes in the coming months (dovish outlook) as economic recovery of the USA is still fragile amid slower global growth and turmoil in world markets linked to low oil price. As a result risk sentiment improved sharply, while the US dollar suffered losses.

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Latest Columns BI Rate

  • Bank Indonesia Keeps Benchmark Interest Rate (BI Rate) at 7.50%

    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.

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  • Indonesian Rupiah Exchange Rate Update: Slightly Appreciating

    The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated slightly on Wednesday (11/06). According to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the currency of Southeast Asia’s largest economy appreciated 0.04 percent to IDR 11,810 per US dollar. Reuters reported that the euro zone's monetary easing in combination with the recent improvement in China's economy offset the impact of higher US yields on Asia. However, investors are still waiting for several data, including the BI interest rate, the Eurozone’s industrial production, and US retail sales.

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  • Bank Indonesia’s Key Interest Rate Expected to Be Kept at 7.50%

    Although the business community in Indonesia requests that the country’s benchmark interest rate (BI rate) is lowered at Bank Indonesia’s next Board of Governor’s Meeting (scheduled for Thursday 12 June 2014), it is highly unlikely that the central bank will alter its BI rate which currently stands at 7.50 percent. The relatively high BI rate curbs business expansion and therefore limits higher economic expansion in Indonesia. However, several factors justify the continuation of the BI rate at 7.50 percent.

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  • Update Indonesian Car Industry: Car Sales Declined 8% in May 2014

    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.

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  • Update Indonesian Macroeconomy; ICRA Indonesia's Monthly Review

    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:

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  • Indonesian Rupiah Appreciates on Bond Sale and Current Account Data

    While most emerging Asian currencies fell, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated 0.08 percent to IDR 11,523 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index on Monday (12/05). The depreciating Chinese yuan, after its central bank set the midrate at its lowest level in eight months, put pressure on other Asian currencies. Today, Indonesia's Finance Ministry sold IDR 10 trillion rupiah (USD $867 million) of bonds, higher than the indicative target of IDR 8 trillion rupiah. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s two-year bonds gained.

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  • Small Loss for the Benchmark Indonesian Stock Index on Thursday

    Contrary to most Asian stock indices, the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (known as IHSG or the Jakarta Composite Index) declined on Thursday (08/05). Positive sentiments that were provided by the BI rate (Indonesia's benchmark interest rate) that was kept at 7.50% in today's Bank Indonesia Board of Governors' Meeting, and China's higher-than-expected trade balance in April 2014 (USD $18.5 billion), were offset by the depreciating rupiah exchange rate and foreign net selling of Indonesian stocks. The IHSG fell 0.02 percent to 4,860.89 points.

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  • Official Press Release Bank Indonesia: BI Rate Maintained at 7.50%

    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.

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  • Jakarta Composite Index Climbs 0.57%; Indonesian Rupiah Down 0.51%

    Jakarta Composite Index Climbs 0.57%; Indonesian Rupiah Down 0.51%

    Completely opposite to our expectations, the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) managed to climb 0.57 percent to 4,862.02 points on Wednesday (07/05). The gain was unexpected as there were no clear factors that could provide positive market sentiments. Moreover, today's Asian stock indices were mostly down. Coincidence or not, tomorrow Bank Indonesia will announce whether its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) - currently set at 7.50 percent - will be changed or maintained.

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  • What about Indonesia's Economic Growth in 2014? Growing or Slowing?

    After Statistics Indonesia (BPS) had announced on Monday (05/05) that Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.21 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the first quarter of 2014 (considerably below analysts' projections of around 5.6 percent), concerns have risen about the country's economic expansion for the remainder of the year. The government of Indonesia targets a GDP growth rate of between 5.8 and 6.0 percent (yoy). However, several international institutions do not agree with this optimistic target.

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