On 19 September 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 economy-related topics such as Indonesia's budget deficit, the tax amnesty program, GDP growth, the trade balance, micro credit, the case of Ford Motor Indonesia, coal mining, the ceramic industry, and more.

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The first period of Indonesia’s tax amnesty program is almost completed. This first period, which runs from July to 31 September 2016, offers the most attractive tax rates to those taxpayers who have not fulfilled their tax obligations in recent years. Through the government’s tax amnesty program they can declare previously undeclared assets and – if they have assets abroad (for example in the so-called tax havens) – they are encouraged to repatriate these funds into Indonesia through attractive tax incentives and immunity from prosecution, a move that met resistance in Singapore.

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The central government of Indonesia and Commission XI within Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to set the nation's economic growth target at 5.1 percent (y/y) in the draft state budget for 2017. This target is 0.2 percentage points below the GDP growth target that was mentioned by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a speech last month (based on a financial note) and is also below the 5.2 GDP growth target that was set in the Revised 2016 State Budget. Less optimistic forecasts are especially caused by a cut in government spending.

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The governor of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia), Agus Martowardojo, stated that he has become highly skeptical about the government's tax amnesty program that was launched in July. At a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday (07/09), Martowardojo said the central bank only expects to see IDR 21 billion (approx. USD $1.6 billion) in additional tax revenue through the amnesty program for the state and only USD $13.8 billion in repatriated funds. These new projections are significantly below the central bank's earlier projections.

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A total of 62 "big taxpayers" have joined Indonesia's tax amnesty program. According to local media their participation has resulted in a total of IDR 41.2 trillion (approx. USD $3.1 billion) worth of fund declarations and IDR 902 billion (approx. USD $68 million) in additional state revenue (tax). Meanwhile, the Tax Directorate General said there are more big Indonesian taxpayers ready to join the program. The tax office has formed a special team that calls the country's large businessmen on a daily basis to remind them about the tax amnesty program and their tax obligations.

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The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) expects to see 15 more companies conducting an initial public offering (IPO) on the local bourse in the remainder of the year, supported by the improving macroeconomic indicators of Indonesia (including a 5.18 percent y/y GDP growth pace in Q2-2016, 2.78 percent y/y inflation in August, and the central bank's lower interest rates) as well as the tax amnesty program (that should bring home trillions of rupiah, part of which finds its way into the local stock market). However, looming tighter monetary policy in the USA remains a challenge.

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On 4 September 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 economy-related topics such as Indonesia's tax amnesty program, inflation, manufacturing, GDP growth, the smartphone market, crude palm oil, the textile industry, and much more.

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The ambitious tax amnesty program of the Indonesian government received support from three influential Indonesian businessmen. The first, James Riady, Chief Executive of the Lippo Group (and son of Mochtar Riady, the founding father of this huge conglomerate), joined the program by handing over his tax declaration documents to Indonesia's Tax Office on Friday (02/09). This declaration took place in front of an audience consisting of Indonesian press and therefore may cause some momentum for the controversial program that experienced a sloppy start.

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On 28 August 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 economy-related topics such as Indonesia's 13th economic policy package, an update on the tax amnesty program, US monetary policy, the tobacco and cement industries, the Palapa Ring project, and more.

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After six years of steady decline, the Indonesian rupiah is likely to have appreciated against the US dollar at the end of 2016. So far this year, the currency of Indonesia has appreciated 4.8 percent to IDR 13,126 against the greenback (Bloomberg Dollar Index) supported by capital inflows, particularly into government bonds and stocks as well as the delay in further monetary tightening in the USA. Although the rupiah should depreciate a bit as we go towards the end of the year, it is set to finish the year at a stronger level than it started.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called for an investigation into the Indonesian people and companies mentioned in the Panama Papers, the massive leak involving 11.5 million confidential documents from the database of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. These documents list names numerous people - including of political figures, businessmen, celebrities and sport stars - who have created secret shell companies and offshore accounts in tax havens (possibly in an effort to avoid tax obligations).

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Indonesia's Finance Ministry said it will not revise the tax revenue target set in the 2016 State Budget. The Indonesian government targets to collect IDR 1,360.2 trillion (approx. USD $100 billion) worth of tax revenue in 2016, a 28.9 percent rise from tax revenue realization in 2015. However, although it is good to aim high - hence setting an ambitious target - it is also important to be realistic (to avoid budgetary turmoil and gain fiscal credibility, important for Indonesia to be eligible for a credit rating upgrade). How realistic is Indonesia's 2016 tax revenue target?

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