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 ›

It has been more than a week since the Indonesian government raised its subsidized fuel prices (Pertalite, Pertamax, and automotive diesel fuel) by an average of slightly over 26 percent. One of the most interesting things is to see whether this decision leads to overall growing prices in Indonesian society. After all, fuel is crucial for the movement of goods and services, and has a significant impact on logistics costs.

Read more ›

When writing this introduction, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26) had just started in Glasgow (Scotland). Indonesian President Joko Widodo is among the delegates who is slated to speech about the importance of preventing – and adapting to – climate change, and to seek ways to obtain climate financing as Indonesia is unable to finance the huge and costly energy transition by itself.

Read more ›

On 30 September 2021 Indonesia’s House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR) approved the 2022 State Budget (Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara, APBN) that had previously been proposed by the cabinet. And with 14.2 percent of total government spending being reserved for infrastructure development in the 2022 State Budget, the Indonesian government confirms that it remains committed to much-needed infrastructure development.

Read more ›

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have existed for many decades around the world. By establishing a SWF – and inject capital into the SWF – governments can strengthen their national economies and generate wealth for future generations. In fact, a SWF is essentially a state-owned investment fund typically funded using excess capital.

Read more ›

As regards Indonesia’s investment and business environment, there were a couple of interesting developments in February 2021. These were developments that – in our opinion – help to strengthen the economy of Indonesia in a fundamental way, albeit it will take a few years (as well as the assistance of other reforms) to fully enjoy the fruits of this labor.

Read more ›

On 28 August 2020 Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially opened Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), a brand new airport that is located in Kulon Progo in the Special Region of Yogyakarta; a region known as one of Indonesia’s main tourism centers. Many in fact call Yogyakarta the ‘heart and soul of Indonesia’.

Read more ›

Those who have visited Indonesia should be well aware of the lack of infrastructure development across the country. Those who have been in urban centers (such as the capital city of Jakarta, Bandung or Surabaya) must have had the experience of being stuck in traffic as the number of road users (mostly cars and motorcycles) outpaces available road surface.

Read more ›

Across the world, concern over the COVID-19 pandemic grew in September 2020 as the number of new COVID-19 cases continued to rise rapidly. Worldwide, at the end of September 2020, some 34 million people have been infected with the virus, while more than one million people have died after contracting the virus.

Read more ›

One characteristic of the Indonesian economy is that the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in this USD $1.0 trillion economy. They not only play an important role because some of them rank among Indonesia’s biggest companies (in terms of profit, sales and assets), thereby generating plenty of money for the government (in the form of tax revenue or dividend) while at the same time creating jobs for millions of Indonesians.

Read more ›

On 25 September 2019, only a few days before Indonesia’s House of Representatives (in Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, or DPR) finished its 2014-2019 term, it approved the 2020 State Budget bill (UU APBN 2020).

Read more ›