According to the latest data from Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS), full-year inflation reached 3.02 percent in 2016, just within the 3 - 5 percent year-on-year (y/y) target range that was set by the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia). The 3.02 percent growth was the lowest annual inflation figure of Indonesia since 2012. In December 2016 Indonesia's consumer price index rose by 0.42 percent month-to-month (m/m), one of the lowest monthly (December) growth paces over the past decade.

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The Indonesian government - through its Finance Ministry - cut all ties with US multinational banking and financial services firm JP Morgan Chase after the latter released a report that allegedly "disturbs Indonesia's financial stability". In November 2016 JP Morgan's emerging markets equity strategists double downgraded Indonesia from overweight to underweight without elaborating on the exact motives. The report only stated that emerging markets' risk premiums are plagued by the rising yield of the benchmark US 10-year treasuries.

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US multinational technology company Google failed to reach a tax settlement with Indonesia's Tax Office in 2016 and therefore directors of Google Indonesia could risk a prison visit. In September 2016 Muhammad Hanif, Head of the Tax Office's Special Cases Department, said Google could face claims for five years of back taxes, including a bill of more than USD $418 million for full-year 2015 as the company is estimated to have paid less than 0.1 percent of the total income and value-added taxes it owed Indonesia in 2015. In Indonesia, Google generates income from online advertisement.

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The second phase of Indonesia's tax amnesty program ended on 31 December 2016 and therefore it is interesting to take a look at the results during this phase. In short, results are mixed. We had already reported that in terms of asset declarations, the initial target of the program was already achieved a couple of weeks ago. However, in terms of asset repatriations (into Indonesia), the program has disappointed so far, and, unless the government will introduce new policies or incentives, will not achieve the target.

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