The Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (Asaki) estimates that production costs in Indonesia's ceramic industry could decline up to 35 percent now the government plans to lower the gas price for industrial usage. Elisa Sinaga, Chairman of the Asaki, said Indonesian ceramic producers currently pay an average USD $9.1 per mmbtu (million metric British thermal units) for the ceramic production process, considerably higher than the gas prices that manufacturers pay in Singapore, Thailand, and India. This difference makes Indonesian ceramic products less competitive.

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Although ceramic sales in Indonesia are flat in Q1-2016, some stakeholders remain optimistic that sales of ceramics in Indonesia may grow 20 percent (y/y) to 433 million square meters in 2016. This growth comes on the back of the government's push for infrastructure development, promotional activities (conducted by Indonesia's ceramic industry), and the lower gas price. Infrastructure development will encourage property development. With the property sector being the largest buyer of ceramics, Indonesia's ceramic industry should thrive on government-led infrastructure development.

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A consortium consisting of Indonesia's state-owned oil & gas company Pertamina and Japan-based general trading company Marubeni Corp has teamed up with American multinational conglomerate corporation General Electric (GE) to bid for success in a USD $2 billion power plant project in Bekasi (West Java) tendered by Indonesia's state-owned utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). Reportedly, this 1,600 MW power plant, named Jawa I, is set to become the largest gas and steam power plant in Indonesia.

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Indonesia's ceramic sales are estimated to remain sluggish in the first quarter of 2016. Elisa Sinaga, Chairman of the Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (Asaki), said domestic ceramic sales are estimated to be around 90 million square meters in Q1-2016, stagnant from sales in the same quarter last year. In full-year 2015 Indonesia's ceramic sales plunged 28.6 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 360 million square meters. The nation's ceramic industry has been plagued by Indonesia's slowing economic growth, particularly the slowdown in Indonesia's property sector.

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Indonesia will most likely abandon its plans to establish four nuclear plants (with a combined capacity of 6 GW) by 2025. Sudirman Said, Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, recently said there are plenty of alternatives - especially renewable energy - in Indonesia to meet the government's target of 136.7 GW of power capacity by 2025 and 430 GW by the year 2050. Nuclear power is controversial due to health risks, environmental damage and nuclear proliferation (when used as a weapon). The nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 highlighted the risks of tapping nuclear power.

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Ceramic sales in Indonesia are projected to decline to IDR 25 trillion (approx. USD $1.8 billion) in 2015 from total sales worth IDR 36 trillion last year. Elisa Sinaga, Chairman of the Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (ASAKI), said 2015 is a year full of challenges for the domestic ceramic industry due to Indonesia's slowing economic growth (particularly the slowdown of the nation's property sector), high gas prices, higher minimum wages, and the fragile rupiah (having depreciated around 11 percent against the US dollar so far in 2015).

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Indonesia's Ministry of Industry is optimistic that the country's manufacturing industry will grow 5.7 percent (year-on-year) in 2016, up from the estimated 5.3 percent growth pace this year. Indonesian Minister Saleh Husin said this optimism is based on higher domestic direct investment. Domestic investment realization in Indonesia's industry sector rose 7.45 percent (y/y) to IDR 20.1 trillion (approx. USD $1.5 billion) in the third quarter of 2015 from IDR 18.7 trillion in the same quarter last year. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Indonesia's industry sector stood at USD $3.15 billion in Q3-2015.

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On Wednesday evening (07/10), the Indonesian government unveiled the third (and last) installment of its economic policy package. This latest installment aims to boost the industrial sector by cutting the diesel price by IDR 200 to IDR 6,700 (USD $0.48) per liter and by giving a 30 percent discount on electricity tariffs for labor-intensive industries. Furthermore, ceramic and chemical producers will obtain cheaper gas per 1 January 2016. The package was unveiled by Darmin Nasution, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs.

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The government of Indonesia decided to offer more attractive profit sharing schemes in order to lure investors to invest the nation’s oil & gas blocks. In September, the government plans to auction a total of eight oil & gas blocks with a profit sharing of 30 percent to 35 percent for oil, and 35 percent to 40 percent for gas. The majority of profit will still go to the government. Usually, the government offers a 15 percent profit share for oil and a 30 percent profit share for gas to investors.

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Earlier this month the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said that Indonesia will require an additional 3,100 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas supplies in the next five years to meet domestic gas demand for the country’s power stations and fertilizer plants. About 1,100 mmscfd of gas is needed for Indonesia’s plan to establish 13,400 MW of gas-fired power stations by 2020. A further 2,000 mmscfd is needed to fuel fertilizer plants in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

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Shares of Perusahaan Gas Negara, the largest natural gas transportation and distribution company in Indonesia, are showing spectacular growth in 2018. On Tuesday (23/01) the company's shares surged 8.91 percent to IDR 2,690 a piece. So far this year, its shares have grown a whopping 53.71 percent. What is the story behind this spectacular performance?

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Again, oil and gas contractors in Indonesia urge the government to clean up bureaucracy (red tape) in this sector in order to make the investment climate more attractive, and hence trigger more (much-needed) investment in Indonesia's oil and gas industry.

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There is few interest from the private sector to participate in Indonesia's oil & gas block tenders. Besides Indonesia's unconducive investment climate (that includes weak government management, bureaucracy, an unclear regulatory framework and legal uncertainty), low global petroleum prices have also managed to curb investors' enthusiasm. In a bid to entice private investors the Indonesian government has decided to change the concept for oil & gas tenders in 2016 from a fixed revenue split to an open bid split scheme.

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Net profit of Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), Indonesia's largest natural gas transportation and distribution company, fell nearly 44 percent in 2015 as gas demand from the industry sector collapsed amid slowing economic growth. Weak demand caused sharply falling gas prices. Shares of PGN, a government-controlled company that is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, plunged nearly 50 percent over the past two years amid the global commodity slump. So far this year shares of the company have fallen 4.74 percent.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo decided that the Masela liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant will be constructed onshore. Masela, located in the Arafura Sea (Moluccas), is Indonesia's largest deep-water gas project. Previously, Japan-based oil company Inpex Corp and Netherlands-based Royal Dutch Shell proposed to construct the LNG plant offshore (which would have made it the world's largest floating LNG plant). On Wednesday (23/03) President Widodo rejected the proposal after months of polemic. Contractors Inpex and Shell are not expected to withdraw from the project but will need time to adjust plans.

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The government of Indonesia unveiled the last installment of a series of three stimulus packages on Wednesday (07/10). The first two installments had been unveiled last month. In general, these stimulus packages aim to boost economic growth of Indonesia (which has slowed to a six-year low) and restore investors' confidence in the Indonesian rupiah and stocks. When markets believed that the Federal Reserve would soon raise its key interest rate, Indonesia was plagued by severe capital outflows pushing the rupiah to a 17-year low.

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Sudirman Said, Indonesian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, announced that state- owned energy company Pertamina will become the new operator of the offshore Mahakam oil & gas block in East Kalimantan starting from 1 January 2018, replacing current operators Total E&P Indonesia (the local unit of France-based Total S.A.) and Japan-based Inpex Corporation as existing contracts expire in 2017. The Ministry, Pertamina, Inpex and Total met on Friday (27/03) to discuss the transition process.

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Indonesia is facing the risk of becoming a net importer of energy by 2019 as the nation’s energy demand will reach 6.19 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) whereas the domestic energy supply will only reach 6.04 million boepd by that year. Provided that the economy of Indonesia remains expanding at a pace of +5 percent (year-on-year) while investments in energy exploration do not rise accordingly, Southeast Asia’s largest economy will become dependent on foreign energy supplies.

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General Director of Oil and Gas at the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Edy Hermantoro said at the 38th IPA Convention and Exhibition on Friday (23/05) that the Indonesian government plans to tender a total of 21 blocks of oil and gas in a first bidding round in 2014. This involves 13 conventional oil and gas blocks and eight non-conventional (shale) oil and gas blocks. The government expects that these oil and gas blocks will add 3.5 billion barrels of oil and 107.7 trillion cubic (tcf) of gas resources.

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Production of coalbed methane (CBM) in Indonesia will most likely not meet the government's target of 500 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) in 2015. Coalbed methane, an environmental friendly fuel, is a form of natural gas that occurs in coal beds. Although the production of CBM is a complementary aspect of coal mining, it has only started to gain attention in recent years. CBM reserves in Indonesia, estimated at 453 trillion cubic feet (tcf), are among the world's largest CBM reserves (6 percent of total global CBM reserves).

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