Indonesia’s external debt in February 2014 amounted to USD $272.1 billion, thus having increased 7.4 percent (year-on-year) from the same month a year earlier. Outstanding external debt as of end-February 2014 consisted of public sector debt (USD $129.0 billion) and private sector debt (USD $143.1 billion). The growth pace of Indonesia's external debt in February 2014 was slightly higher than the 7.2 percent (yoy) growth pace recorded in January 2014. These data were taken from Bank Indonesia's website.

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Indonesia's HSBC purchasing manager index (PMI) hit a seven-month low at 50.1 in March 2014, down from 50.5 in the previous month. According to Indonesia's Finance Minister Chatib Basri, there is no need to revise government policy to combat the slowdown in the country's manufacturing sector as the government has deliberately slowed down the economy in order to curtail the wide current account deficit. The government of Indonesia aims to reduce the current account deficit to 2.5 percent of the country's GDP by the end of 2014.

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Indonesia's February 2014 HSBC manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), which measures the performance of the country's manufacturing industry, slipped to 50.5 from 51.0 in the previous month, thus indicating slowing growth (a reading above 50 indicates expansion in manufacturing activity, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction). Despite continued strong export orders, domestic demand weakened amid massive floods and volcanic eruptions at the start of the year.

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Although China's HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in January 2014 fell below the 50.0 mark thus indicating contracting manufacturing, other Asian countries, including Indonesia, posted expanding manufacturing. Indonesia's HSBC Manufacturing PMI read 51.0 in the first month of the year, its highest reading since June 2013 and up from 50.9 in December 2013. However, this limited expansion also raised concerns that the policy tightening of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) has not been as effective as hoped for.

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Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said that the Indonesian government is preparing two strategic steps to anticipate the negative impact of the winding down of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program. In January 2014, the Fed's bond-buying program will be reduced from USD $85 billion to USD $75 billion per month. The two strategic steps, which will enhance financial stability in Southeast Asia's largest economy, involve the curtailing of Indonesia's current account deficit and high inflation.

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The unemployment rate of Indonesia is forecast to ease to 6.03 percent (7.24 million people) in 2014 from 6.25 percent (7.39 million people) in August 2013. The Indonesian government expects a reduction in the unemployment rate as the country's economic growth is assumed to grow strongly and thus will provide more job opportunities for Indonesians next year. Various institutions, including the IMF, World Bank and the Indonesian government, expect Indonesia's GDP growth in 2014 to range between 5.3 and 6.0 percent.

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Grand Kartech, an Indonesian engineering and manufacturing company, will be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) today (08/11). The company offers 163.64 million shares to the public through its initial public offering (IPO). The stock price that was set for the IPO amounts to IDR 275 (USD $0.024) per share and the company expects to reap IDR 45 billion (USD $4.0 million) through this corporate action. Demand for Grand Kartech's shares has been high as the IPO is oversubscribed almost 44 times.

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Indonesia Investments has updated the company profile of Krakatau Steel, Indonesia's and Southeast Asia's largest steel producer. The company, which is for 80 percent government owned, has a crude steel production capacity of 2.45 million tons per year. However, through a lucrative joint venture with Posco, the world's third-largest steel producer, it will expand production capacity significantly in the years ahead. Besides steel production, the company has expanded into other industries.

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Two sectors of the Indonesian economy stand out as most popular destinations of foreign investments in the first six months of 2013. These are Indonesia's manufacturing sector and the construction, property and real estate sector, which grew 46.7 percent and 100.6 percent respectively compared to the same period in 2012. Based on data of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), foreign direct investments in Indonesia increased 23 percent to USD $14.1 billion in the first semester of 2013.

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Indonesia's mining sector is still the biggest beneficiary of both domestic and foreign direct investments. Investments in Indonesia's mining sector rose 23.8 percent in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This may be somewhat surprising as global economic turmoil in recent years has resulted in falling commodity prices and weak mining exports. Investments are the most important pillar of economic growth in Indonesia after the country's vibrant consumer industry.

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The manufacturing sector is a strategic one for the Indonesian economy (albeit it is facing a number of major challenges). The Indonesian government therefore has high hopes and ambitions for the national manufacturing sector.

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Over the past five decades the Indonesian economy has evolved from one being highly dependent on agriculture to one in which industry and services dominate the national economy.

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After the surprise in February 2020 (when – contrary to expectations and in stark contrast to the global trend – manufacturing activity in Indonesia soared), matters turned normal in March 2020. In line with expectations, Indonesia’s manufacturing production and new orders contracted at record rates in March, making companies decide to cut back sharply on their purchasing activity and input inventories. Business conditions in fact deteriorated at a rate not seen before in the history of the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey.

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An alarming report was released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 1 October 2019. In the report the WTO notes that ongoing global trade tensions, led by tariff troubles between the United States and China, are doing harm to global economic growth in ways not seen since the financial crisis one decade ago.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia increased in June 2019 albeit at a much slower pace than in the preceding month. Expansion in the nation’s manufacturing sector was dragged down by softer expansion in both production and new orders.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia improved in May 2019 due to an increase in output and new orders. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose from 50.4 in April 2019 to 51.6 in the following month, its highest position in nine months (a reading below 50.0 indicates contraction, while a reading above 50.0 indicates expansion in manufacturing activity).

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Based on the latest data from IHS Markit, the headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell modestly to a reading of 50.5 in October 2018 (from 50.7 in the preceding month). The reading represents a marginal improvement in the health of Indonesia’s manufacturing sector.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia expanded in September 2018. However, the pace of growth slowed compared to the preceding month. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined from August's 26-month high of 51.9 to 50.7 in September (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion in the manufacturing sector).

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Rising domestic demand caused Indonesia's August manufacturing activity to grow at the fastest pace in more than two years. As a result local manufacturing companies added new people to their staff. The headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) grew to 51.9 in August 2018 (up from 50.5 in the preceding month), further above the 50.0 level that separates expansion from contraction in terms of manufacturing activity.

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Although manufacturing activity in Indonesia rose slightly in July 2018, there are a number of reasons to be concerned. The headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) indeed grew modestly from a reading of 50.3 in June to 50.5 in July (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion in the nation's manufacturing activity). However, overall conditions remain lacklustre in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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