Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Property

  • Cement Sales in Indonesia Rise on Infrastructure and Property Projects

    Cement sales in Indonesia surged 21 percent month-to-month (m/m) to 5.6 million ton in September 2014 from 4.6 million ton in the preceding month. Widodo Santoso, Chairman of the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI), said that the increase in Indonesian cement sales was supported by the start of a number of central and regional government infrastructure projects. Santoso also detected an increase in development of property projects. Infrastructure and property are the sectors that absorb most cement.

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  • Projects in Indonesia: Update on Jakarta’s Kota Tua Renovation Project

    Lin Che Wei, CEO of the Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation, said that renovation of the Kota Tua area is expected to be finished before the start of the 2018 Asian Games. Kota Tua (Old Batavia) is the oldest part of Jakarta, located in the northern part of Indonesia’s capital city, spanning 1.3 square kilometres, and used to function as the centre of Dutch colonial rule in the 17th and 18th century. Currently, however, many buildings in the Kota Tua area are in a state of near collapse although the area has great tourism potential.

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  • Property in Indonesia: Demand for Apartments in Jakarta Still Strong

    With continued economic growth in Indonesia, thus giving rise to higher per capita GDP, the property market is still expanding rapidly, particularly in the bigger cities such as Jakarta (the political and economic center of Indonesia). By 2015, 46 new property projects will add nearly 25,000 new apartments in Jakarta (‘strata title’, a term that refers to the multi-level apartment blocks and horizontal subdivisions with shared areas) with a combined value of about IDR 23 trillion (almost USD $2 billion).

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  • Update on Indonesian Cement Industry: Prospects for 2014 and Beyond

    Indonesian cement sales fell 25 percent to 3.7 million tons in July 2014 from 5 million tons in the same month last year. This sharp decline is attributed to the Lebaran holiday (also known as Idul Fitri in which Muslims celebrate the end of the fasting month) when businesses are closed as well as Indonesia’s July 2014 presidential election. Slowing cement sales are also caused by declining economic growth (5.12 percent yoy in Q2-2014). Cement sales are a key indicator for construction activity (infrastructure and property development).

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  • Jones Lang LaSalle: Condominium Sales in Indonesia to Break a Record

    Global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle expects condominium sales in Indonesia to post a record-breaking figure in 2014, particularly supported by the current trend in Jakarta (Indonesia’s capital city) where people continue to shift to apartment living instead of detached or attached single-unit housing. Anton Sitorus, head of research at Jones Lang LaSalle, said that despite the weaker outlook for Indonesia’s property market, both developers and buyers have shown increased interest in developing and buying property.

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  • Bank Indonesia Concerned about Local Companies' Unhedged Foreign Debt

    Although Indonesia’s debt-to-GDP ratio is currently still at a safe level at roughly 32.8 percent, the country’s central bank (Bank Indonesia) expressed its concern about the high debt service ratio (DSR) and debt-to-export ratio. The DSR is the ratio of debt service payments (principal and interest) of a country to its export earnings. Generally, a healthy ratio is somewhere in the range of 0 and 20 percent. However, Indonesia’s DSR has risen from 20 percent in 2007 to 50 percent in 2014.

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  • Joko Widodo Suggests to Allow Foreigners to Buy Property in Indonesia

    Indonesian presidential candidate Joko Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi, intends to increase the government’s tax revenue by allowing foreigners to buy luxury apartments, worth at least IDR 2.5 billion (approximately USD $211,864), in the larger cities of Indonesia and on the island of Bali (a popular tourist destination). Currently, foreigners cannot buy property in Indonesia. However, indirect structures, such as the use of their Indonesian wife’s name or an agent are common, meaning that the state loses out on luxury tax income.

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  • Jakarta's Infrastructure Development Makes Property Investment Lucrative

    Colliers International, a leading global commercial real estate firm, expects West and South Jakarta to become promising locations for the development of high-rise (office) buildings. Associate Director for Research at Colliers International Ferry Salanto explained that Jakarta's infrastructure development plans - in particular new road construction - are the main reason why prospects of property development have become more promising in the Kebon Jeruk (West Jakarta) and T.B. Simatupang (South Jakarta) areas.

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  • Growth of Residential Property Prices in Indonesia Still Slowing in Q1-2014

    The Residential Property Price Survey still indicates slowing growth of Indonesian residential property prices (in the primary market) in the first quarter of 2014. The Residential Property Price Index grew 1.45 percent (quarter to quarter) in the first quarter of 2014 or 7.92 percent year-on-year, lower than the growth that was recorded in the previous quarter of 1.77 percent (qtq) or 11.51 percent (yoy). The slowdown occurred in all types of homes, but in particular the medium and large homes segment.

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  • Strong Property Development Supports Growth of Indonesian Ceramic Industry

    Growth of the Indonesian property sector, estimated at 10 to 15 percent in 2014, boosts sales of ceramics. Similarly, the nation's construction sector - which grew 7 percent per year on average between 2009 and 2013 - stimulates the ceramic industry. This year, revenue in the Indonesian ceramic industry is projected at IDR 34 trillion (USD $3.0 billion). About 85 percent of total revenue in the country's ceramic industry is forecast to be generated through domestic sales, the remainder through exports abroad.

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Latest Columns Property

  • Tax Amnesty Funds Yet to Impact on Indonesia's Property Sector

    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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  • Office Space in Jakarta: Time for Offering Discounts & Promotion

    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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  • Foreign Investment in Property Sector of Indonesia Rose in 2016

    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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  • Property Development Indonesia: West Jakarta Gaining Popularity

    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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  • Indonesian Property Companies in Focus: Alam Sutera Realty

    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 Financial Institutions in Focus: Bank Tabungan Negara

    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 Property Developers in Focus: Surya Semesta Internusa

    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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  • Indonesian Construction Companies in Focus: Total Bangun Persada

    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 Companies in Focus: Bumi Serpong Damai

    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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  • Foreigners Can Buy Property in Indonesia, But Will They?

    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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