Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Infrastructure

  • Aviation Infrastructure Indonesia: Passenger Capacity Soekarno-Hatta Airport

    Passenger capacity at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia's busiest airport located just outside Jakarta, is targeted to reach 61 million (per year) by the end of 2017, up 84 percent from a passenger capacity of 33 million passengers currently. Passenger capacity at the airport will rise strongly after the full completion of construction of Terminal 3 as well as the renovations at Terminals 1 and 2. Although Terminal 3 opened in August 2016 construction will continue into 2017 when full passenger capacity (25 million per year) is expected to be reached.

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  • Toll Road Development Indonesia: 11 Investors Compete in Tenders

    The Indonesia Toll Road Authority (in Indonesian: Badan Pengatur Jalan Tol, or BPJT), which is a department within Indonesia's Ministry of Public Works and Housing, says there are 11 investors that compete for four toll road projects. Combined, these four projects are estimated to have a total value of IDR 41.5 trillion (approx. USD $3 billion). The 11 investors - all having passed the prequalification process - are requested to send their proposals for the tender process. Before the end of 2016, the Indonesian government is expected to announce the winners of the tenders.

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  • Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's Terminal 3 Starts Operations

    On Tuesday (09/08), Terminal 3 of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, located just outside Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta, becomes operational. This IDR 7.7 trillion (approx. USD $588 million) terminal is designed to have the capacity to handle some 25 million passengers per year. In the first phase of the terminal's operations, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will use it for its domestic flights (about 126 per day). Gradually, Garuda will serve international flights from this terminal, followed by international flights of other airlines.

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  • Construction Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway Project to Start?

    Next week construction of the high-speed Jakarta-Bandung railway project may finally start as the government is set to issue the necessary construction permit that allows for the development of Indonesia's first-ever high-speed railway project. This railway will connect Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta to the city of Bandung in West Java. Although the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted in January 2016 the project - similar to many other infrastructure projects in Indonesia - has been plagued by a long delay.

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  • Infrastructure Indonesia: Update Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Project Jakarta

    Since the groundbreaking ceremony on 10 October 2013, witnessed by then-Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta has made progress. According to the latest updates, the first phase of the North-South line has been completed for slightly over 50 percent per July 2016. This first phase, which is estimated to require USD $1.5 billion worth of investment, connects Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Bunderan Hotel Indonesia in Central Jakarta.

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  • Cement Sales Indonesia Rose 3% in First Half of 2016

    Domestic cement sales in Indonesia climbed 3.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 29.48 million tons in the first half of 2016. Widodo Santoso, General Chairman of the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI), said rising cement demand in Indonesia is particularly supported by the construction of power plants, smelters and other infrastructure projects outside the island of Java. However, he added that the cement sales growth figure in H1-2016 is slightly below the target of ASI.

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  • World Bank's Logistics Performance Index: Indonesia Falls to 63rd

    Despite the Indonesian government being eager to push for infrastructure development, Southeast Asia's largest economy fell 10 positions in the World Bank's 2016 Logistics Performance Index (LPI), from 53rd position in 2014 to 63rd position this year. The LPI is determined through a worldwide survey involving operators on the ground (global freight forwarders and express carriers) that provide feedback on the logistics in nations where they operate and those with which they trade. High logistics costs are a problem for any economy as it makes products and services less competitive, while foreigners will think twice before investing in the country.

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  • What Are Indonesia's Priority Infrastructure Projects in 2016-2019?

    There are 30 projects that have been selected as priority infrastructure projects in Indonesia for the period 2016-2019. In total, all these projects together will require some IDR 5,519 trillion (approx. US $415 billion) worth of investment. However, the Indonesian government (including state-owned enterprises and regional governments) can only come up with IDR 1,400 trillion, or 26 percent of the required funds. The remainder therefore needs to be covered by the private sector. As such, the key for success is fruitful cooperation between the private and public sector (for example through public-private partnerships).

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  • Indonesia Declares Patimban Seaport a National Strategic Project

    The central government of Indonesia has officially declared the Patimban Seaport project in Subang (West Java) a national strategic project through Presidential Decree No. 47/2016, signed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. This declaration implies that the project is regarded a priority project that benefits the economy and society as a whole. The priority status further means that all ministers, government agencies and governors need to support the development of the project.

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  • Infrastructure in Indonesia: Update Trans-Sumatra Toll Road Development

    Indonesian Minister for Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono doubts that construction of the Trans-Sumatra toll road will be completed by 2019. The minister already informed Indonesian President Joko Widodo about his concern. As usual, the main issue that forms a time-consuming matter in infrastructure projects in Indonesia is land acquisition. And while land prices on Sumatra are relatively cheap, the sheer size of land that needs to be purchased for this toll road makes it a challenging process. Regarding the Trans-Java toll road, on the contrary, Minister Hadimuljono says completion by 2018 is possible.

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Latest Columns Infrastructure

  • Infrastructure Update Indonesia: Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road

    One of the toll roads that is high on the Indonesian government's priority list is the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road in East Kalimantan. The project is part of the government's quest to boost infrastructure development, thus reduce the nation's high logistics costs and make local businesses more competitive. However, as with every big infrastructure project in Southeast Asia's largest economy, there are bottlenecks that have caused a significant delay.

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  • Funding Indonesia's Infrastructure Push; Eyeing Foreign Pension Funds

    From Hamburg (Germany) where he visited the G-20 summit, Indonesian President Joko Widodo instructed his cabinet to increase efforts to attract investment into Indonesia. Now Indonesia recently obtained the investment grade status from all important global credit rating agencies, it should make Indonesia a more attractive investment destination for foreigners, including institutional investors such as pension funds.

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  • Investment Projects on Offer in Indonesia: Airport Development & Management

    Angkasa Pura I, the state-owned firm that provides airport management services in the central and eastern region of Indonesia, offers foreign and domestic private investors the opportunity to operate and develop several airports (in cooperation with Angkasa Pura I) across Indonesia: the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport in Sepinggan (Balikpapan, Kalimantan), Lombok Praya Airport on Lombok, and - in the pipeline - Kulon Progo Airport in Yogyakarta (Java).

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  • Indonesia Seeks to Develop More Special Economic Zones

    Six new 'special economic zones' (in Indonesian: kawasan ekonomi khusus, or KEK) should become operational in Indonesia soon. These six KEKs are: (1) Bitung, (2) Palu, (3) Tanjung Api-Api, (4) Mandalika, (5) Morotai, and (6) Maloy Batuta Trans Kalimantan. Indonesia's special economic zones are designated areas that offer both foreign and local investors preferential regulatory and tax regimes, as well as - in theory - the availability of key physical infrastructure such as harbors and power plants that should attract foreign investment in these zones.

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  • Fierce Battle for Market Share in Indonesia's Cement Sector

    For Indonesian cement producers it is vital to maintain their market share amid ongoing difficult times. With Indonesia's total installed annual cement production capacity now being around 100 million tons, while domestic demand is only expected to reach 65 million in 2017, cement players are facing weak prices amid a big oversupply, while foreign demand for Indonesian cement is yet to grow. Meanwhile, due to the arrival of various new cement players in Indonesia in recent years, competition for market share has become increasingly fierce.

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  • Infrastructure Update Indonesia: LRT, Energy, Airports & Toll Road

    The controversial Batang power plant in Central Java is expected to be completed in 2020 now all land acquisition disputes have been resolved. This USD $4.2 billion power plant experienced a long delay as about a dozen of local farmers were reluctant to sell their land to the developers of the project. In February 2016 Indonesia's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the project developers. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is a supporter of this project.

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  • Toll Road Development in Indonesia Disappointing in 2016

    Approaching the end of 2016 it is interesting to take a look whether the Indonesian government achieved its target in terms of infrastructure development. In this column we zoom in on toll road construction. Before 2016 started the central government - under the leadership of President Joko Widodo - targeted to see the construction of 136 kilometers of new toll roads this year. However, two weeks before the end of 2016 only 44 kilometers of new toll roads have been developed this year, achieving only 32 percent of the target.

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  • Infrastructure Development: the Tough Road Ahead for Indonesia

    Infrastructure is the artery of the economy. Blocked arteries are life threatening. Similarly, when there is a lack of adequate infrastructure within the economy (whether in terms of quality or quantity) the economy will run in a highly inefficient manner due to high logistics costs, uncompetitive businesses (as the costs of doing business rise significantly), as well as social injustice when, for example, it is difficult for part of the population to reach healthcare facilities, or, for children to reach a school.

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  • Tourism in Indonesia: Labuan Bajo (Flores), the 'New Bali'?

    Labuan Bajo, a small harbor town on the island of Flores in Indonesia's Nusa Tenggara region, is considered the "new Bali" due to its huge tourism potential. Blessed with beautiful and idyllic natural scenery (including beaches and offshore islands), foreign and domestic tourists will surely have a great experience. Although there are already about a dozen of high-class hotels (4 or 5 stars) and it is fairly well connected to other parts of Indonesia (through its Komodo Airport and port), the small fishing town remains underdeveloped for now.

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  • Construction Sector of Indonesia: State-Controlled Firms to Thrive?

    Construction companies in Indonesia are expected to grow strongly, supported by the availability of many new construction contracts, in the second half of 2016. Particularly state-controlled construction firms are expected to benefit from the government's push for infrastructure development. The central government's budget for infrastructure development has risen significantly in recent years (see table below), while the government also tries to direct part of the funds that are generated through the tax amnesty program toward infrastructure development.

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