Despite car sales having slowed significantly in Indonesia, there are at least three automotive companies eager to invest a combined IDR 21 trillion (approx. USD $1.6 billion) to expand production capacity in Indonesia this year (either by establishing a new factory or enhancing production capacity at existing plants). In 2015 car sales in Indonesia fell 16.1 percent (year-on-year) to 1.01 million vehicles, the nation's lowest car sales figure since 2011. However, Indonesia remains the second-largest car market and producer in the ASEAN region, after Thailand.

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Indonesia's largest pharmaceutical company, Kalbe Farma, felt the impact of macroeconomic headwinds. The company, one of the largest public pharmaceutical companies in Southeast Asia, today announced its indicative performance (unaudited) for the year 2015. While its net sales grew 3 percent year-on-year (y/y) to IDR 17.4 trillion (approx. USD $1.3 billion), the company's net income fell 4.3 percent (y/y) to IDR 1.98 trillion (approx. USD $147 million). Kalbe Farma's performance in 2015 was plagued by weaker purchasing power in Indonesia and the depreciated rupiah exchange rate.

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Astra International reported a 25 percent year-on-year (y/y) decline in net profit to IDR 14.4 trillion (approx. USD $1.1 billion) over 2015. This is the company's lowest net profit figure in the past five years. Main reasons for this weak performance is falling domestic consumption in Indonesia and persistently sliding commodity prices. Astra International, an investment holding company, is among the largest diversified conglomerates in Indonesia and regarded the barometer of the Indonesian economy due to the group's presence in various sectors.

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The move of the Indonesian government to relax foreign ownership rules regarding e-commerce businesses in Indonesia has also given rise to expectation that the country's major e-commerce players (including foreign ones) will be interested to list their companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange through an initial public offering (IPO). Generally an IPO improves a company's transparency and corporate/financial management. E-commerce businesses are particularly in need of consumers' trust and confidence and therefore an IPO is considered a good corporate move.

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