Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Infrastructure

  • Infrastructure in Indonesia: Update Jakarta-Surabaya Railway

    The Indonesian government plans to show results of the prefeasibility study for the revitalization of the north coast railroad - that connects Jakarta and Surabaya on the island of Java - to Japan immediately after the study has been completed. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, said the government is expecting to start discussing the project in early August 2017.

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  • Mudik Tradition Indonesia: Fewer Idul Fitri Traffic Accidents

    Indonesian police informed that there were less traffic accidents during this year's Idul Fitri exodus compared to preceding years. Idul Fitri, a national week-long holiday, marks the end of the Islamic fasting month (Ramadan) and is a big happening in Indonesia. Ahead of Idul Fitri millions of workers who live in the cities travel to their places of origin to spend some days with their families. Locally, this tradition is known as "mudik" ("going home").

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Loan for Jakarta-Bandung Railway Signed

    A large chunk of the costs for the development of Indonesia's first high-speed railway - between the capital city of Jakarta and Bandung - is covered now a consortium of Indonesian and Chinese companies signed a USD $4.5 billion loan with the China Development Bank. This loan should cover about 75 percent of the total (estimated) costs to develop this railway. In 2015 the Indonesian government, rather unexpectedly, awarded the contract for this project to China, sidestepping Japan that thought it would be appointed to establish this railway.

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  • Strukton International Awarded Palmerah Tidal Bridge Project in Indonesia

    Tidal Bridge BV, a joint venture of Strukton International and DEC, has been awarded the contract to construct the Palmerah Tidal Bridge in Indonesia. The Dutch company will build a floating bridge in the Larantuka Strait, located in East Flores in the eastern part of Indonesia. This floating bridge will be linked to (what is set to become) the world's largest tidal power plant. The total duration of the project is estimated at four years with a final contract value of more than USD $550 million. This project is the first Dutch-Indonesian cooperation in the field of waterworks.

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  • Asian Development Bank's Latest Report on the Indonesian Economy

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) kept its forecasts for economic growth in Indonesia at 5.1 percent (y/y) in 2017 and 5.3 percent (y/y) in 2018, implying it expects the trend of accelerating economic growth in Southeast Asia's largest economy to continue. The Manila-based institution mentions improvement in private investment and trade (namely expectation of rising exports) as main sources for growth of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) in the years ahead.

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  • Airports in Indonesia: Bali's Ngurah Rai World's 3rd-Best Airport

    Airport Councils International, the only worldwide trade representative of the world's airports, considers Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport the world's third-best airport in the category "airports with an annual passenger capacity of 15-25 million people in 2016". The airport's score improved from 4.74 in the 2015 edition to 4.92 in the latest edition. To continue improving its performance, the airport operator will continue to invest in airport facilities as well as supporting infrastructure.

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  • Update 3rd Runway at Indonesia's Soekarno-Hatta Airport

    State-owned airport services company Angkasa Pura II, which operates airports in the western part of Indonesia, says construction of the third runway of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (located just outside Jakarta) will start in April 2017. This new runway, which requires about IDR 2 trillion (approx. USD $150 million) worth of investment, is expected to be ready for use in mid-2018. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the country's main port of entrance, is target of an ambitious expansion and renovation program with the aim to boost competitiveness by raising the airport's passenger capacity and flight frequency.

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  • Infrastructure Development Indonesia: New Funding Schemes Required

    The government of Indonesia needs to be more aggressive and innovative to find new sources to fund its ambitious infrastructure development program. To achieve its infrastructure targets, the government will need to find ways to entice the private sector because public funds are limited. So far, however, the private sector is hesitant to engage in capital-intensive and long-term investment in a country where the investment climate is not optimal.

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  • Weak Weather Conditions Undermine Indonesia's January Cement Sales

    Cement consumption in Indonesia fell to 5.27 million tons in January 2017, down 2.3 percent year-on-year (y/y) from the same month one year ago. This decline was blamed on the intense rainfall in the nation's regions that managed to obstruct progress with various projects. Widodo Santoso, Chairman of the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI), said the decline in cement demand was seen in nearly all regions, including Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Nusa Tenggara.

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Latest Columns Infrastructure

  • Indonesian Companies in Focus: Toll Road Operator Jasa Marga

    State-controlled toll road constructor and operator Jasa Marga is expected to post rising revenue and net profit in the years to come as its toll road network is expanding amid the government's drive to push for infrastructure development, including toll road development. Recently Jasa Marga was awarded four toll road projects - all on the island of Java - with a total length of 262.3 kilometers (valued at IDR 18.4 trillion). Up to 2017 Jasa Marga plans to commission some 313 kilometers of toll road.

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Jakarta-Surabaya Railway & Patimban Seaport

    After Japan was disappointed by not being awarded the contract to build a high-speed railway between Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta and Bandung (West Java), the Indonesian government now plans to offer the revitalization of the northern Java railway to Japan. Another project that is expected to be offered to Japan is the Patimban seaport project in Subang (West Java). Indonesian President Joko Widodo is currently in Japan for a two-day visit to attend the Group of Seven summit on invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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  • Infrastructure Development in Indonesia: $450 Billion Required

    It is estimated that Indonesia will need some USD $450 billion in funds to finance the government's infrastructure development plans for the 2015-2019 period. However, through the state budgets the government can only deliver USD $230 billion, or roughly 50 percent of required funds. The remainder should originate from the private sector (30 percent of total funds) and state-controlled enterprises (20 percent). However, is it likely that the private sector (both foreign and domestic) is to come up with USD $141 billion for investment in infrastructure up to 2019?

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  • Impact of Indonesia's Infrastructure Development on Property Sector

    With the Indonesian government showing its commitment to push for infrastructure development, the property sector of Indonesia is expected to get a boost as infrastructure development opens access to new areas. For example, Indonesia's first high-speed train project that is to connect Jakarta and Bandung (in West Java) is expected to give rise to new economic centers and cities along the 142 kilometers-long railway. Moreover, existing property in the proximity of a new infrastructure project should lead to significantly rising property prices.

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  • Indonesia Plans to Offer 10 Toll Road Projects to Investors

    The Indonesian government plans to offer 10 toll road projects - with a total length of 520.83 kilometers - to investors before the end of the year. The projects are estimated to have a total value of IDR 109.58 trillion (approx. USD $8.3 billion). The offering of these projects are in line with the government's efforts to boost infrastructure development across the country. Such development will enhance inter and intra island connectivity, thus curbing the nation's high logistics costs and offer a more attractive investment climate to (potential) investors.

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Palembang

    Two state-controlled companies (both listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange) are expected to feel the positive impact of the light rail transit (LRT) in Palembang (South Sumatra), a transportation project currently under construction. These two companies are construction firm Waskita Karya and cement producer Semen Baturaja. These two companies are heavily involved in the LRT project that is estimated to cost around USD $520 million. This LRT track is supportive infrastructure for the 2018 Asian Games, to be held in South Sumatra in August 2018.

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  • Foreigners Need Rep Office or JV for Construction Work in Indonesia?

    Indonesia's economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 was rather disappointing at 4.92 percent (y/y), below analyst estimates that averaged around 5 percent (y/y), due to slowing household consumption, private investors being in a wait-and-see mode, and relatively weak government spending (a usual phenomenon at the year-start). Indonesia's construction sector also grew weakish in Q1-2016. However, the construction sector still has good prospects in the years ahead on the back of the government's infrastructure projects.

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  • Indonesia in April: State Budget & 7-day Reverse Repurchase Rate

    If we look back on the month of April, two important matters - related to the economy - occurred in Indonesia this month: (1) in the first week of April, the Indonesian government managed to complete the Revised 2016 State Budget (RAPBN-P 2016), and, one week later, (2) the central bank (Bank Indonesia) announced it will adopt a new benchmark monetary tool per 19 August 2016 - the so-called seven-day reverse repurchase rate - that is to replace the existing BI rate (which fails to influence market liquidity effectively).

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  • Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) to Thrive on Infrastructure Credit Growth?

    Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), one of the leading banks in Indonesia, is expected to maintain rising net profit figures in the years ahead due to its decision to focus on (corporate) credit disbursement for domestic infrastructure development projects. In fact, according to RHB OSK Securities, BNI may become the state-controlled bank that benefits most from the government decision to raise its infrastructure budget to IDR 313.5 trillion (approx. USD $24 billion) in the 2016 State Budget. Last year, growth of credit disbursed by BNI to infrastructure projects climbed 116.2 percent (y/y). This year infrastructure credit may grow by another 19 percent.

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  • Non-Optimal Public Spending on Infrastructure Development in Indonesia

    Public spending on infrastructure development in Indonesia is not optimal. Sofyan Djalil, Indonesia's National Development Planning Minister as well as Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), says immature and non-integrated planning between ministries and other government agencies as well as between the central and regional governments cause inefficient and non-optimal infrastructure spending. Non-optimal infrastructure development implies that Indonesia's overall economic growth as well as social development cannot achieve its full potential.

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