At the end of last week, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (better known as Jokowi) inaugurated the Kota Tua revitalization program in North Jakarta. Kota Tua (Old Batavia) is the oldest part of Jakarta, spanning 1.3 square kilometres, and used to be the center of Dutch colonial rule in the 17th and 18th century (in the 19th century the Dutch moved its administrative center to the south). Today, Kota Tua still breathes a colonial atmosphere through the old architecture and museums, attracting tourists on a daily basis.

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On 16 March 2014, 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 in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as the impact of Joko Widodo's run for presidency on financial markets, an analysis of Indonesia's current account deficit, an updated overview of the coal mining sector, Bank Indonesia's BI rate policy, and more.

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According to a recent survey of Schroder Investment Management Indonesia, subsidiary of the British multinational asset management firm and a leading independent international asset management and private banking group, Indonesian investors feel more confident to invest in Indonesia in 2014. Director of Schroder Indonesia Michael Tjoajadi stated that confidence of Indonesian investors has increased due to improving economic conditions and the long-term prospects of Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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According to research conducted by Citibank, Indonesians increasingly regard property as the most lucrative investment instrument, instead of cash, deposit or saving accounts. On second and third place come cash and insurance. Citibank conducts an annual survey through which the bank assesses Indonesians' ability to understand the importance of financial planning and implementing good financial discipline. The survey involves various groups based on gender, age, residency and income levels.

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Four publicly listed - yet state controlled - construction companies recorded a combined 42 percent growth (year on year) in net profit in 2013. The combined net profit of these four companies - Wijaya Karya (Wika), Adhi Karya, Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) and Waskita Karya - totaled IDR 1.74 trillion (USD $146.2 million) last year. These numbers evidence the robust growth that Indonesia's property and infrastructure sectors experienced in 2013 and is expected to continue in 2014.

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Jakarta's property market remains prospective despite Indonesia's slowing economy and the upcoming legislative and presidential elections (scheduled for 9 April and July 2014). Luke Rowe, Technical Advisor at Jones Lang LaSalle Indonesia, said that the apartment (particularly luxurious apartments) and condominium segments in Indonesia's capital city will continue to post growth as they have done in recent years. Generally, around 90 percent of the units of a new project are sold before construction is finished.

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Adhi Persada Properti, subsidiary of majority state-owned construction company Adhi Karya, plans to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2015. The company hopes to reap IDR 600-700 billion (roughly USD $54 million) through this corporate action. However, Pulung Prahasto, Director of Adhi Persada Properti, declined to inform how many shares will be publicly listed as this is still a topic for internal debate. Adhi Persada Properti is engaged in property and real estate development.

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Growth in Jakarta's office space sector is expected to continue its upward trend. The Colliers International Asia Real Estate Forecast 2014, released by the leading global commercial real estate company, mentions a significant increase of new rental office space in the capital city of Indonesia. As such, Indonesia's office space sector (which is particularly centered in the big cities on Java such as Jakarta and Surabaya) is Asia's leader in terms of office space growth. However, this year's growth will not be as strong as in 2012 and 2013.

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Bank Indonesia (Indonesia's central bank) has expressed that it will support slowing credit growth in the country's banking sector next year in order to foster a more stable financial environment amid a complex external and internal context. In recent years, credit growth in Indonesia has grown over 20 percent annually, while in 2013 it is expected to slow to between 18 and 20 percent amid a tighter policy regime. In 2014, Bank Indonesia targets credit growth between 15 to 17 percent. As a result banks will be more cautious in their lending approach.

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Opinions about the growth prospects of Indonesia's property sector in 2014 have turned rather negative amid the country's slowing economic expansion, tighter monetary policy (mortgage restrictions and higher down payment rules), the depreciating rupiah and uncertainties about the country's legislative and presidential elections in mid-2014. In 2012 and the first half of 2013, Indonesia's property sector had been investors' darling showing spectacular growth amid a booming economy, high housing demand and a low interest environment.

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The tax amnesty program of Indonesia is yet to have an impact on Indonesia's property sector. Earlier, analysts and stakeholders expected part of the asset repatriations into Indonesia (under the government's tax amnesty program) to flow to property, either property ownership or property development projects. Although tax declarations and additional government revenue under the amnesty program were a success, the repatriation of assets that were stashed overseas has been weak. However, some stakeholders are optimistic that repatriated funds will flow to Indonesia's residential property in Q2-2017.

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Having an office in the center of Jakarta is usually an ambition of foreign and local businessmen in Indonesia. An office in Jakarta's Central Business District, the heart of the capital, is a strategic location (located close to the headquarters of numerous other companies that are active in Indonesia) and it adds a certain status to your company even though you will have to battle severe traffic congestion each time you visit or leave the office (but it is fair to say that also in the other parts of Jakarta traffic is immense).

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The year 2016 was a good one in terms of foreign investment in Jakarta's residential property sector even though Indonesia's property market remained sluggish. Various foreign property developers - including China's state-owned China Communications Construction Group (CCCG), Japanese firms Mitsubishi Corporation and Tokyu Land Corporation as well as Hong Kong's HongKong Land and Malaysia's Sime Darby Group - announced to engage in big property projects (in and around the capital city of Jakarta) that have a combined value of USD $2.8 billion.

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When walking around the Taman Anggrek Mall and Central Park Mall in West Jakarta, you will see several big property projects being built: a new mall (Neo Soho Mall), apartment complexes (Neo Soho Apartments and Taman Anggrek Residences) and a new office tower (Soho Capital). In terms of property development in Indonesia, West Jakarta now seems developers' favorite location. Hari Raharta, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Real Estate Developers Association (REI), informed, however, West Jakarta has seen solid property development since the opening of the Jakarta-Tangerang toll road back in 1984.

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Alam Sutera Realty, an Indonesia-based real estate development company, is plagued by overall declining growth in Indonesia's property sector. In the first half of 2016 Alam Sutera recorded IDR 966.5 billion (approx. USD $74 million) in pre-sales, only 19.3 percent of the company's full-year target. What are the strategies of this company to combat the slowdown?

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Indonesian listed financial institution Bank Tabungan Negara should benefit from the government's Housing Loan Liquidity Facility (in Indonesian: Fasilitas Likuiditas Pembiayaan Perumahan, or FLPP), a government-subsidized mortgage program for those low-income citizens who have never bought a house before. This scheme should boost House Ownership Credit (Kredit Pemilikan Rumah, or KPR) in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Good news for Bank Tabungan Negara, which is the market leader in Indonesia's mortgage loans sector.

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Indonesian listed property developer Surya Semesta Internusa is experiencing difficult times. The firm's three main business segments - construction, property and hospitality - are all under pressure. In the first six months of 2016 net profit of the developer plunged 64.3% (y/y) to IDR 91.5 billion (approx. USD $7 million), far below analysts' forecasts. The decline was mainly caused by a fall in its net revenue. Net revenue of Surya Semesta Internusa fell 16.6 percent (y/y) to IDR 2.08 trillion (approx. USD $159 million).

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Today, Indonesia's House of Representatives passed the Tax Amnesty Bill into law. Indonesian authorities expect this bill to bring home trillions of rupiah (hundreds of million of US dollars) that partly flow into Indonesia's property sector. Total Bangun Persada, one of Indonesia's leading construction companies, is one of the companies that can benefit from these inflows. CIMB Securities expects the company's revenue to grow 6.8 percent (y/y) to IDR 2.52 trillion (approx. USD $189 million) in 2016.

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Indonesian real estate developer Bumi Serpong Damai, part of the Sinar Mas Group, has ample room for expansion. According to its latest quarterly financial report, the company owns 3,954.88 hectares of land that has not been developed yet, 70 percent of which is located near BSD City, an ambitious urban planning scheme that combines housing, business and commercial properties not far from Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. The company also has land banks in Jakarta, Bogor, Surabaya, Palembang, Balikpapan and Samarinda.

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Indonesia opened the property market to those foreigners who reside (legally) in Indonesia. However, it also set tough requirements regarding foreign ownership of Indonesian property. Moreover, it remains nearly impossible for expats to obtain a local mortgage to finance the purchase of property. Although local credit may actually not be attractive for foreigners as interest rates are high in Indonesia, it is interesting to take a closer look at why Indonesian banks reject to sell mortgages to foreigners and whether foreigners are actually enticed to buy property in Indonesia?

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