According to Franky Sibarani, Head of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), around 200 Chinese furniture companies have expressed their interest to relocate their factories to Indonesia because operational costs in China have been rising sharply in recent years, particularly wages. Moreover, rattan (an important material for furniture) is readily available in Indonesia. Sibarani said the changing structure of the Chinese economy (shifting from investment and export-driven to consumption) is why many Chinese manufacturing companies want to relocate their companies abroad.

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Malaysia-based coffee producer Classic Worldwide International Group (CWIG) will soon start operations at its coffee factory in Indonesia. The factory, located in Banten (West Java), is expected to be ready for production at the end of the second quarter this year with a designed production capacity of 500,000 boxes of coffee per month. Output will be branded Kopi Pak Belalang. The management of CWIG said the plant will require about 100-150 local workers. Besides supplying the domestic market, output will also be exported to Malaysia.

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In its March 2016 Indonesia Economic Quarterly, titled "Private Investment is Essential", the World Bank cut its forecast for Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 to 5.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) from an earlier estimate of 5.3 percent (y/y). This downward revision was made due to weaker-than-expected global economic conditions, further weakening commodity prices, and limitations to Indonesian government spending brought about by a looming shortfall in tax revenue.

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Japanese companies remain committed to invest in Indonesia - particularly into infrastructure, power and manufacturing - according to the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), one of Japan's private, non-profit representative economic organizations. Kankeiren Chairman Shosuke Mouri met Indonesia's Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution on Monday (07/03) in Jakarta. Japan is one of the biggest investors in Indonesia. During the period 2010-2015 the country invested a combined total of USD $14.9 billion in Indonesia.

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The move of the Indonesian government to relax foreign ownership rules regarding e-commerce businesses in Indonesia has also given rise to expectation that the country's major e-commerce players (including foreign ones) will be interested to list their companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange through an initial public offering (IPO). Generally an IPO improves a company's transparency and corporate/financial management. E-commerce businesses are particularly in need of consumers' trust and confidence and therefore an IPO is considered a good corporate move.

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Indonesian rubber producers do not welcome the government's decision to open the nation's crumb rubber sector to foreign ownership for the full 100 percent. This decision is part of the government's tenth economic stimulus package, announced last week. Stakeholders in Indonesia's rubber sector argue that current installed production capacity of existing rubber processing plants in Indonesia already exceeds domestic demand. Crumb rubber is recycled rubber produced from automotive as well as truck scrap tires.

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The government of Indonesia is again opening room for foreign ownership in a number of sectors in an effort to boost economic expansion and reach the 7 percent year-on-year (y/y) gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate by 2019 as targeted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Examples of sectors that are to be opened for the full 100 percent to foreign ownership are the cold storage business, crumb rubber industry, sport-centers, film production industry, restaurants, raw materials for medicines, toll roads, and telecommunication equipment. These revisions are part of Indonesia's 10th economic stimulus package.

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In rupiah terms, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Indonesia increased by 19.2 percent year-on-year (y/y) to IDR 365.9 trillion in 2015, according to the latest data from the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). The BKPM, the central government's investment services agency, said FDI was strong in the fourth quarter of 2015 - rising 26 percent (y/y) - on the back of the government's recently unveiled series of economic stimulus packages.

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The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the central government's investment service agency, said foreign direct investment (FDI) is projected to account for 65 percent - or IDR 386.6 trillion (approx. USD $28.2 billion) - of total direct investment in Indonesia in 2016. The BKPM sees domestic direct investment realization next year at IDR 208.4 trillion. As such, in total, direct investment realization in Indonesia is estimated at IDR 594.8 trillion (approx. USD $43.4 billion) in 2016.

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Effective immediately, the government of Indonesia introduced a new tax incentive that makes it more attractive for companies to revalue their fixed assets. Previously, companies had to pay a ten percent tax on the company's fixed asset growth. As a result, companies tended to refrain from increasing the level of fixed assets resulting in limited tax revenue. The Indonesian Finance Ministry said that companies will only have to pay 3 percent tax on the increased amount, provided that they submit their proposals for fixed asset revaluation before the end of this year.

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A Foreign Representative Office (Kantor Perwakilan Perusahaan Asing [KPPA]) is a more general form of representative office than the foreign trade representative office and the foreign construction services representative office as we covered in previous columns. The Foreign Representative Office is regulated by BKPM, whereas the aforementioned representative offices are regulated by respectively the ministry of trade and the ministry of public works. Due to the general nature of a Foreign Representative Office, it is typically set up to provide managerial support to the parent company abroad.

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A foreign construction service representative office in Indonesia is established by foreign overseas parent companies, specifically for conducting business activities in the field of construction services. Construction services can be defined as consultancy services in planning of construction work, construction implementation services, and consultancy services regarding the supervision of construction work.

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A foreign trade representative office in Indonesia can be set up by overseas companies quickly and with relative ease. In general, a foreign trade representative office is established with the purpose to take care of the interests of the parent company abroad and/or for preparation of the establishment and development of foreign investment activities in Indonesia. Due to their purpose the scope of activities is limited to representation of the overseas company and is therefore not allowed to directly be engaged in sales and related activities.

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A total of twenty Japanese companies engaged in the food and beverage industry are exploring investment opportunities in Indonesia. According to research conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the food and beverage industry of Indonesia is regarded as a lucrative investment opportunity by these companies. If realized, these foreign direct investments could be worth between USD $400 million to USD $1 billion. However, JICA’s research did not mention any names of the Japanese companies.

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The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced on Thursday (24/04) that investment realization of both domestic and foreign direct investment have set a new record in the first quarter of 2014. Total investment realization in Q1-2014 stood at IDR 106.6 trillion (USD $9.4 billion), an increase of 14.6 percent compared to the same period in 2013 (IDR 93 trillion) and the third consecutive time that the quarterly figure exceeded the IDR 100 trillion mark. Foreign direct investment accounted for 52 percent of total investments.

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Mahendra Siregar, Head of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) is optimistic that realized investment in Indonesia can reach over IDR 100 trillion (USD $8.6 billion) in the first quarter of 2014, particularly supported by foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country's automotive and electronics sectors. Siregar uttered his optimistic view at the groundbreaking of the new Toyota factory in Karawang (West Java) on Tuesday (25/02). Foreign investors remain buoyant on the potential of Indonesia's rapidly expanding consumer force.

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At Bank Indonesia's Board of Governors’ Meeting today (13/02), it was decided to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent as well as the interest rates on the Lending Facility and Deposit Facility at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. The policy is consistent with the tight monetary policy stance currently adopted in order to steer inflation back towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce the current account deficit to a more sustainable level.

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On Tuesday (21/01), the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced that investments in Indonesia grew 27 percent to IDR 398.6 trillion (USD $33 billion) in 2013, thus exceeding the target that was set at the start of the year (IDR 390 trillion). This result, which is a new record high for Southeast Asia's largest economy, was supported by a 39 percent increase in domestic direct investment (IDR 128.2 trillion) and a 22 percent increase in foreign direct investment (IDR 272.6 trillion).

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Indonesia's Finance Minister Chatib Basri stated that the government of Indonesia is busy preparing three new policies that aim to restore financial stability as well as attract foreign direct investments. These three new policies involve the higher sales tax on imported luxury cars, a revision of Indonesia's negative investment list, and the higher income tax on imported consumption goods. These three new policies are in addition to the policy package that was introduced by the Indonesian government in August 2013.

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According to a survey of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), 44.9 percent of respondents assessed Indonesia as the most promising investment destination for the next three years. The respondents in this survey involved 500 Japanese companies that engage in international businesses. For Indonesia it is the first time in 21 years that it forms the preferred choice of overseas investments for Japanese companies, thus replacing China. In 2013, Japan already dominates foreign direct investment in Indonesia.

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