Although the rupiah experienced 0.59 percent appreciation to IDR 14,374 per US dollar on Friday (18/09) according to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, Indonesia’s currency is still fragile amid looming further monetary tightening in the USA (Fed Fund Rate hike), a move that will most likely cause severe capital outflows from emerging markets, including Indonesia. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia's benchmark rupiah rate (Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate, abbreviated JISDOR) hit a fresh 17-year low on Friday as it depreciated 0.08 percent to IDR 14,463 per US dollar. So far this year, the currency of Southeast Asia’s largest economy has weakened 16 percent against the greenback.

Indonesian Rupiah versus US Dollar (JISDOR):

| Source: Bank Indonesia

About 85 percent of Indonesia’s total offshore debt is long-term debt (implying a due date at least one year from now). This is positive as it prevents the emergence of sudden liquidity turmoil. However, about 25 percent of private sector external debt is short-term debt and therefore could cause financial difficulties for these companies.

In a statement Bank Indonesia wrote that private sector offshore debt (at the end of July 2015) was mainly concentrated in the financial, manufacturing, mining, and electricity, gas & water supply sectors. Together these four sectors account for 76.1 percent of total private sector foreign debt.

Further Reading:

Concern Mounting over Possible Debt Crisis in Indonesia
Standard & Poor’s on when Indonesian Companies Start to Default on Unhedged Debt

Indonesia's Foreign Debt - 2015:

2015     Public Debt
    Private Debt      Total Debt
January     $135.7 billion     $162.9 billion     $298.6 billion
February     $134.8 billion     $164.1 billion     $298.9 billion
March     $132.8 billion     $165.3 billion     $298.1 billion
April     $132.9 billion     $167.2 billion     $300.1 billion
May     $133.5 billion     $168.7 billion     $302.3 billion
June     $134.6 billion     $169.7 billion     $304.3 billion
July     $134.5 billion     $169.2 billion     $303.7 billion

Indonesia's Foreign Debt - 2014:

2014     Public Debt
    Private Debt      Total Debt
January     $127.9 billion     $141.4 billion     $269.3 billion
February     $129.0 billion     $143.1 billion     $272.1 billion
March     $130.5 billion     $146.0 billion     $276.5 billion
April     $131.0 billion     $145.6 billion     $276.6 billion
May     $132.2 billion     $151.5 billion     $283.7 billion
June     $131.7 billion     $153.2 billion     $284.9 billion
July     $134.2 billion     $156.4 billion     $290.6 billion
August     $134.2 billion     $156.2 billion     $290.4 billion
September     $132.9 billion     $159.3 billion     $292.3 billion
October     $133.2 billion     $161.3 billion     $294.5 billion
November     $133.9 billion     $160.5 billion     $294.4 billion
December     $129.7 billion     $162.8 billion     $292.6 billion

Source: Bank Indonesia

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