• Waskita Karya: Right Company, Right Time to Focus on Toll Road Construction

    Construction company Waskita Karya is expected to be among the main beneficiaries of the multi-year Trans-Java toll road project. The company, in which the Indonesian government owns a 68 percent stake, has been assigned to develop six (out of a total of 19) sections of the Trans-Java toll road including the sections Pemalang-Batang, Solo-Ngawi and Ngawi-Kertosono. Waskita Karya's participation in this project will not only strengthen the company's investment portfolio in Indonesia's toll road sector but will also imply rising precast concrete sales of its subsidiary Waskita Beton Precast (established in 2013).

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  • Unilever Indonesia to Rebound along with the Overall Economy?

    In 2015 Unilever Indonesia's net profit declined 1.2 percent (y/y) to IDR 5.85 trillion (approx. USD $443 million) due to weakened purchasing power of Indonesian consumers amid the economic slowdown. Last year Indonesia's GDP growth touched the six-year low of 4.79 percent (y/y). This year, however, economic growth is estimated to accelerate beyond the 5.0 percent (y/y) mark. Unilever Indonesia is a leading consumer goods producer in Indonesia that is mainly focused on home & personal care products as well as foods & refreshment products. How about its performance in 2016?

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  • Indonesian Companies: Upstream Oil & Gas Services Provider Elnusa

    Elnusa is an Indonesian company that provides services in the upstream oil & gas sector. Although the oil & gas sector has been plagued by low prices, thus curtailing corporate earnings, there is something that makes Elnusa's position strong. Recently, Elnusa purchased a seismic vessel that can be used for marine seismic surveys for oil & gas exploration. In Indonesia only a few companies have the skills and equipment for marine seismic activities (and only a few companies have a seismic vessel). Moreover, Elnusa's new vessel is a modern one that is equipped to conduct high quality surveys in deep sea.

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  • Retail Business Indonesia to Grow, Matahari Department Store Takes Advantage

    Matahari Department Store is a leading modern retail business in Indonesia offering a wide variety of products such as accessories, home-ware and fashion. In 2016 the company, which has been listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange since 1989, plans to open between six and eight new stores as part of its expansion plans. This is a more conservative plan compared to 2015 when Matahari Department Store opened 11 new stores. However, the lower amount of new stores may in fact manage to enhance productivity at the existing stores and curtail operational costs.

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The views expressed in these business columns are the views of the authors or the interviewed persons only and therefore do not necessarily reflect the views of Indonesia Investments. The authors are free to ventilate their opinions about the Indonesian business climate. Facts presented in these columns are the result of the author's own research or indicated sources, read disclaimer
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