Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Infrastructure

  • What is Indonesia's Progressive Tax on Idle Land Ownership?

    Sofyan Djalil, Indonesian Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, says the progressive tax on land that is deemed idle will not disturb the investment climate of Indonesia because industrial estates and land that has a clear development purpose are exempted from this tax (this includes land destined for property development projects). Through the progressive land tax the government wants to combat speculative land buying, something that has become a problematic phenomenon in Indonesia.

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  • Japan & Indonesia to Cooperate on Key Infrastructure Projects

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will witness the signing of a joint study (a cooperation between Indonesia's Transportation Ministry and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA) into the medium speed railway - connecting Jakarta to Surabaya - on 15 January 2017 at the Presidential Palace in Bogor. Besides the medium speed railway, Widodo and Abe will also discuss funding for a deep-sea port project in Patimban (West Java) as well as contracts for the Masela oil & gas block in eastern Indonesia.

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Balikpapan-Bontang Toll Road Update

    The Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road on the eastern coast line on the island of Kalimantan (in the province of East Kalimantan) will be extended to include the city of Bontang. During a visit to Balikpapan at the start of the week, Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed the extension plan. It implies that the project will more than double in length. The distance between Balikpapan and Samarinda is around 99 kilometers. However, from Samarinda further northeastwards to Bontang stretches across 116 kilometers.

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  • Railways in Indonesia: Jakarta-Surabaya Medium-Speed Train

    Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesian Minister of Transportation, said the preliminary study into the medium-speed Jakarta-Surabaya railway could be completed before the end of 2016. In a bid to enhance connectivity and curtail logistics costs the government of Indonesia encourages the construction of a medium-speed railway linking Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta (on the western part of Java) to the nation's second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java. The preliminary study was started three weeks ago.

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  • Infrastructure Budget Indonesia Rises in 2017 State Budget

    In the 2017 State Budget the Indonesian government allocated IDR 387.3 trillion (approx. USD $29.8 billion) for infrastructure development, up from IDR 317.1 trillion in the 2016 budget. Since Joko Widodo became Indonesian President in 2014 the infrastructure budget of Indonesia has been raised rapidly, showing that Widodo kept his pledge and is serious about constructing roads, bridges, airports, harbors, and railways in an effort to enhance connectivity in Southeast Asia's largest economy, reduce logistics costs and enforce the multiplier effect.

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  • Ease of Doing Business in Indonesia Improving, Time for Complacency?

    Indonesia's improving ranking in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index shows that the government's reform efforts have had a positive effect. However, there is no time for complacency as most industries in Indonesia continue to lack competitiveness compared to regional counterparts, while many entrepreneurs in Indonesia continue to complain about (the lack of) legal certainty as well as (the lack of) good coordination and cooperation between Indonesia's central and regional governments (in terms of policy implementation).

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  • Steel Industry Indonesia: Local Steel Gaining Market Share

    The Indonesian Iron and Steel Association (IISIA) predicts that steel sales in Indonesia will grow nearly 9 percent (y/y) to 12.5 million tons in 2016, from 11.5 million tons in 2015, on the back of new infrastructure projects. IISIA Director for International Relations Purwono Widodo adds that the market share of locally-produced steel is expected to rise from 40 percent to 60 percent. This is a positive development because the steel market in Indonesia has been dominated by imports (mostly from China).

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  • Jean-Claude Trichet on the Indonesian Economy; New Policy Packages

    Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank (ECB) from 2003 to 2011, says the strategy of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to boost overall economic growth (and social development) in Southeast Asia's largest economy through infrastructure development is the correct strategy. Although this strategy requires time, it will result in structural long-term growth. Trichet spoke at an international seminar in Jakarta, themed "Challenges to Global Economy", organized by the Indonesian Deposit Insurance Company (LPS) to mark its 11th anniversary.

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  • Indonesia Infrastructure & "One Belt, One Road" Investment Conference

    Indonesia Infrastructure & "One Belt One Road" Investment Conference 2016 (IIC 2016) will be held on October 20th and 21st 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The conference will be a stage of first-hand infrastructure investment information, a bridge of networking and discussing between local project leaders and investors, and will involve a full program of high quality international keynote speakers to give a global and local perspective on Indonesia infrastructure construction.

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  • Port Infrastructure Indonesia: 1st Terminal New Priok Port Completed

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the inauguration of the first newly built container terminal, part of the New Priok Port, an extension of Indonesia's busiest port (Tanjung Priok) in North Jakarta, on Tuesday (13/09). At this occasion Widodo urged the developers of the New Priok Port to speed up construction of the port so that phase one can be completed by 2019. The New Priok Port, consisting of three phases, will relieve the overloaded systems at the existing Tanjung Priok port and bring Indonesia's port facilities on par with other world-class ports.

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Latest Columns Infrastructure

  • Steel Industry in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities

    Domestic steel sales in Indonesia are expected to rise 6 percent y/y to 15.1 million tons in 2014. Meanwhile, the global average steel price has been USD $536 per ton this year, implying that the market value of Indonesian steel sales is to reach USD $8 billion this year. In recent years, the country’s steel sales have been rising on development of infrastructure, defense industry, and manufacturing. The sales are expected to continue rising in the years ahead due to commitment of the government to boost infrastructure development.

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  • Finance Minister Chatib Basri on Indonesia’s Economic Fundamentals

    Indonesian Finance Minister Chatib Basri said that the lower pace of economic growth in China, the world’s second-largest economy, is a major concern for Indonesia as it leads to declining demand for commodities (and thus places downward pressure on commodity prices). As Indonesia is a major commodity exporter - such as coal, crude palm oil, nickel ore and tin - the country feels the impact of weak global demand for commodities. About 60 percent of Indonesia’s exports are commodities, mostly raw ones.

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  • Indonesian August Cement Sales Rise on Property & Infrastructure Projects

    Indonesian cement sales jumped 37.4 percent (year-on-year) to 4.7 million tons in August 2014 due to higher cement demand from Indonesian property and infrastructure developers. Widodo Santoso, Chairman of the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI), said that the development of smelters, power plants, apartments, hotels, and social housing has been key to improved cement sales last month. However, the 37.4 percentage point growth was also caused by fewer working days in August 2013 as the Lebaran holiday fell in that month.

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Tender Soekarno-Hatta Airport Railway Delayed

    The prequalification tender for the construction of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Railway project has been postponed until late October 2014 (from August) as agreements with several stakeholders still need to be finalized. For example, the government is yet to underwrite part of the required investment. Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation proposes to underwrite IDR 13.5 trillion (USD $2.3 billion) - approximately 49 percent of total required investment for this railway project.

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  • Indonesian Property Stocks Gain Most in First 8 Months of 2014

    Property stocks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) have outperformed all other stocks between the first trading day of 2014 up to 29 August 2014. The IDX’ property sector category rose 37.6 percent in the indicated period, whereas the benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index, abbreviated IHSG) - which involves all stocks traded on the IDX - climbed 18.7 percent over the same period. On the IDX, stocks are placed in ten sectoral categories. The second-best performing sectoral index was finance (+24.5 percent).

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  • Infrastructure in Indonesia: President Yudhoyono Targets Start of 13 Projects

    Before the second and final term of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finished on 20 October 2014, the groundbreaking of a total of 13 infrastructure projects should have been conducted. These 13 projects are diverse ranging from toll roads to steam power plants and the extension of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport located nearby Jakarta. One of these 13 projects - the IDR 9.65 trillion Trans Sulawesi Railway project - has already had its groundbreaking in mid-August 2014.

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  • Joko Widodo’s Political & Economic Agenda: Future of Jokowi’s Indonesia?

    When campaigning, presidential candidates will always promise a bright future in order to gain votes. It is particularly easy for a new presidential candidate to promise golden mountains as opposed to the incumbent president who needs to be more cautious making promises as people can point to the (failed) results of his promises during the presidential term. The 2014 Indonesian presidential election was particularly interesting as we saw two new presidential candidates and, thus, the ‘inflation of promises’.

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  • Indonesian Government Tenders Soekarno-Hatta Airport Train Project

    The Indonesian Transportation Ministry will tender the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport train project in August 2014. The project, which will connect one of the world’s busiest airports to the capital city of Jakarta, is offered in the shape of a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Indonesian government. The total of investment required to develop the railway, which will be built partly underground, is estimated at IDR 26 trillion (USD $2.2 billion). The project aims to improve connectivity to the airport.

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  • World Bank Report: How Can Indonesia Avoid the Middle Income Trap?

    On Monday (23/06), the World Bank released its latest analysis regarding the Indonesian economy. In its report, titled ‘Indonesia: Avoiding the Trap’, the World Bank states that Indonesia needs to implement a six reforms in priority areas in order to avoid the so-called middle income trap (referring to the situation where a country gets stuck at a certain income level). Without these critical reforms, the country’s economic growth will slow and may not be able to escape the middle income trap.

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  • Presidential Election Indonesia 2014: 2nd Television Debate Jokowi-Prabowo

    Sunday evening (15/06), the second debate between Indonesia’s two presidential candidates - Prabowo Subianto and Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo - was held. This debate was broadcast live on various Indonesian television stations and - once again - managed to become a trending topic on social media. The debate, the theme of which was ‘development of the economy and social welfare‘, was characterized by a nationalistic and protectionist tone. This tone had already been set by Subianto in the past weeks but now Jokowi also stressed protectionism.

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