The Indonesian Cement Association (ASI) said cement sales in Indonesia grew by 7.6 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 66.4 million tons in full-year 2017. Widodo Santoso, Chairman of ASI, said cement sales rose in all regions across the country with the exception of Kalimantan and Sulawesi. As usual, the biggest cement consumer in 2017 was Java. This island accounted for 57 percent of total cement consumption in Indonesia in 2017, followed by Sumatra with 21 percent.

Read more ›

In line with the progress in the light rail transit (LRT) project, Indonesian construction company Adhi Karya has used the majority of funds that were assembled through the company's rights issue. Based on a report released by the state-controlled company, it has already used IDR 2.4 trillion (approx. USD $179 million) - or about 88 percent of rights issue proceeds. The rights issue took place on 22 September 2015.

Read more ›

Indonesian President Joko Widodo opened Silangit International Airport on Friday (24/11). The opening of this international airport is expected to give a boost to tourist arrivals at Lake Toba (in Indonesian: Danau Toba) in North Sumatra. Silangit Airport, which is located about 70 kilometers to the south of Lake Toba, makes it much easier for domestic and foreign tourists to travel to the famous lake.

Read more ›

After seeing the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, Indonesian construction companies gained optimism that the improved ranking of Indonesia in terms of infrastructure competitiveness will translate to more private sector involvement in the country's infrastructure sector.

Read more ›

The Transportation Ministry of Indonesia hopes to attract up to IDR 40 trillion (approx. USD $3 billion) in investment commitments from (foreign) investors during the fourth Asia-Europe Transport Ministers Meeting, held on Bali between 26-28 September 2017. These investments are needed to finance 12 infrastructure projects in Indonesia that are on offer.

Read more ›

One of the biggest problems in relation to infrastructure development or construction projects in Indonesia is the land acquisition process. Many projects have been delayed - or cancelled altogether - because local land owners refuse to sell their land to the developers of the project, or, they only agree to sell land at very costly prices.

Read more ›

Construction of the Warnasari terminal in Cilegon (Banten province) commenced. Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi laid the first stone at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday (30/08). Zamhari Hamid, President Director of port operator Pelabuhan Cilegon Mandiri (PCM), said the Warnasari terminal is designed to have a loading capacity of 12 million tons in the first phase, which estimated to be completed in October 2019, established on a land area of 45 hectares.

Read more ›

Traditionally, the Indonesian President reveals the government's proposal for next year's state budget one day ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. This time, President Joko Widodo announced a rather ambitious target in terms of economic growth. The central government proposes the GDP growth target figure for 2018 at 5.4 percent year-on-year (y/y). The budget proposal requires approval from the House of Representatives (DPR).

Read more ›

The Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (in Indonesian: Badan Pengusahaan Batam) is currently preparing the Batam-Bintan Bridge project. This could become the area's first public-private partnership (PPP) project. Batam and Bintan are two islands that are located in Indonesia's Riau Islands province, just south of Singapore. While Batam is a major industry hub, Bintan is being promoted as the new Bali.

Read more ›

During the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration (2004-2014) the Indonesian government presented public-private partnerships (PPPs) as solution to infrastructure development in Indonesia. However, there was limited enthusiasm as investors remained hesitant due to the nation's complex investment climate (including the difficult land acquisition process, regulatory uncertainty and doubts about the economic feasibility of certain projects).

Read more ›

Indonesia posted a higher-than-expected USD $454.4 million trade surplus in April 2015. Previously, analysts predicted to see an April trade surplus of around USD $120 million. However, the USD $454.4 million trade surplus was smaller than the (revised) USD $1 billion trade surplus recorded in March. Moreover, the April surplus (the country’s fifth consecutive trade surplus) is primarily caused by a large drop in imports, signalling that Indonesia’s economic performance remains sluggish at the start of Q2-2015.

Read more ›

Ahead of the release of Indonesia’s official first quarter GDP growth figure (scheduled to be released in the first week of May), Indonesian stocks fell and the rupiah depreciated (slightly) against the US dollar on the back of weak market sentiments that have plagued Indonesian markets over the past week. Most importantly, weaker-than-expected Q1-2015 corporate earnings reports of listed Indonesian blue chips have made market participants concerned that Indonesia’s economic slowdown has continued into the first quarter of 2015.

Read more ›

Within a couple of days Statistics Indonesia (BPS) is scheduled to release Indonesia’s GDP growth figure for the first quarter of 2015. Despite economic growth forecasts for full-year 2015 - both of the Indonesian government and international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) - signalling a rebound from the five-year low of 5.02 percent (y/y) in 2014, various analysts expect to see further slowing economic growth in Q1-2015.

Read more ›

The year 2015 may be a good one for Indonesian cement makers. The Indonesian government under the leadership of Joko Widodo is eager to invest heavily in the country’s infrastructure as this is one of the main bottlenecks that blocks higher economic growth. In the Revised 2015 State Budget the central government set aside IDR 290.3 trillion (USD $22.3 billion) for infrastructure development. Surely, the country's large cement producers - Semen Indonesia, Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa, Holcim Indonesia and Semen Baturaja - will benefit from this.

Read more ›

Indonesia’s central bank (Bank Indonesia) decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, the deposit facility rate at 5.50 percent and lending facility rate at 8.00 percent. This interest rate environment is considered to be in line with the central bank’s ongoing efforts to push the country’s inflation figure within its target of 4±1 percent for 2015 and 2016, as well as to control the country’s current account deficit towards a healthier level at 2.5-3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the medium term.

Read more ›

The government of Indonesia decided to relocate the planned Cilamaya deep seaport project in West Java to a different location (possibly Subang or Indramayu) as the initially proposed location is too closely located to an oil and gas block operated by Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java, a subsidiary of state-owned energy company Pertamina. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that it would be dangerous to construct the seaport close to this block as there is a high likelihood that ships will hit oil and gas rigs.

Read more ›

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released a report today (24/03) in which it discusses recent economic developments in Indonesia. According to the report, Indonesia’s economic growth is projected to accelerate over the two years ahead provided that the Indonesian government continues to implement structural policy reforms. Such reforms - which include the acceleration of infrastructure development, reduction of logistical costs, and enhancing budget implementation - should lead to an improvement of the investment climate.

Read more ›

One of the key strategies to improve the economic fundamentals of Indonesia is to restructure and strengthen the country’s exports. This restructuring involves the transformation of Indonesian exports from being dominated by (raw) commodities to manufactured exports by developing downstream industries in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, including import substitution industrialization in order to curb the country’s demand for imported products amid Indonesians’ rising purchasing power.

Read more ›

Although Indonesia’s economic growth slowed further in 2014, there is optimism that growth will accelerate in 2015 despite sluggish global economic conditions (curbing Indonesia’s export performance) and Bank Indonesia’s relatively high interest rate environment. Indonesia’s central bank has raised its BI rate several times over the past one and a half years in an effort to combat high inflation (caused by fuel price hikes), curb capital outflows ahead of US monetary tightening, limit the current account deficit and support the rupiah.

Read more ›

The total number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia in 2014 was 9.44 million, up 7.19 percent from the preceding year, meaning that the government target of welcoming 9.3 million foreign tourists last year was achieved. As usual, most foreign tourists entered Indonesia through the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, the most famous tourist destination in the world’s largest archipelago. During the whole year of 2014 a total of 3.71 million foreigners spent some time on Bali.

Read more ›