Unemployment in Indonesia is expected to fall to 5.7 percent of Indonesia's total labor force at the end of 2013. In 2014, the figure may further decline to 5.1 percent if global and domestic conditions are conducive and if the government can provide sufficient support through job creation. These forecasts were presented by Muhaimin Iskandar, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration. The minister mentioned that each one percent in GDP growth will create more than 350,000 jobs.

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Indonesia's government expects expenditure on subsidized fuels in 2014 to amount between IDR 190-220 trillion (USD $19.2 to 22.2 billion). A high official at Indonesia's Finance Ministry, Robert Pakpahan, said that the assumption is based on a subsidized fuel quota of 48 to 51 million kiloliters and an Indonesian crude oil price of USD $100-115 per barel. Despite having raised the price of subsidized gasoline by 44 percent last week, it means that both volume quota and total expenditure on fuel subsidies will rise in 2014.

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According to Bambang Brodjonegoro, current head of the Fiscal Agency (a department under the wings of Indonesia's Finance Ministry), Indonesia's economy will grow 6.0 percent in the second quarter of 2013. This growth rate is lower than originally forecast due to the impact of a global unstable environment. Economic growth in Q2-2013 is also likely to be below the Q1-2013 result of 6.02 percent. A few weeks ago, the government of Indonesia had already revised down its GDP forecast for 2013 from 6.8 percent to 6.3 percent.

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Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service stated in a report released on Monday (24/06) that it is positive about the impact of the increase in price of subsidized fuel in Indonesia. Through this measure, the budget deficit of the Indonesian government is estimated to remain within 3 percent of GDP (the maximum threshold that is set by the government). Last Saturday (22/06), the price of gasoline was raised by 44 percent to IDR 6,000 and the price of diesel by 22 percent to IDR 5,500 despite widespread protests across the country.

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After a long plenary session on Monday (17/06), Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) and the government have agreed to the revised 2013 State Budget (APBN-P). The revision was needed as original macroeconomic assumptions began to fall out of tune with reality. Due to global and domestic conditions a number of assumptions needed to revised down. Most controversial decision that was taken is the increase in price of subsidized fuel by 44 percent to IDR 6,500 (USD $0.66) per liter.

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To ease pressures on the IDR rupiah, Indonesia's central bank has used about USD $2.0 billion of its foreign exchange reserves to support the currency as the country's continuing trade deficit as well as concerns about the possible increase in price of subsidized fuel in June has caused much uncertainty about the level of inflation in the near future and puts downward pressure on the rupiah. Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves fell to USD $105.2 billion in late May 2013 from USD $107.3 billion at the end of April.

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Indonesia's minister of Economy, Ir. M. Hatta Rajasa, stated that the government of Indonesia intends to realize economic growth of at least 6.2 percent in the second quarter of 2013 in order to remain on track for 6.3 percent growth for full year 2013. Although he reminded that it will take hard effort to realize this target, his message contained more optimism than Finance minister Chatib Basri's statement earlier this week who sees 6.0 percent of economic growth as the limit in Q2-2013.

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The Indonesian government and Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed on several macroeconomic projections for the 2013 Revised State Budget (RAPBN-P 2013). The government requested a number of modifications to the 2013 State Budget as earlier assumptions, mentioned in the original 2013 State Budget, were not in line with the current economic conditions. Before reaching the agreement, fractions in the commission changed a number of proposed revisions of the government.

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In the draft for the State Budget of 2014 (RAPBN 2014), the government of Indonesia projects economic growth of between 6.4 and 6.9 percent. Continued global recovery is expected to result in higher GDP growth compared to 2012 (6.23 percent) as it will result in better demand for Indonesian products, such as commodities. The main pillar of Indonesia's GDP growth - domestic consumption - is expected to grow due to the population's higher purchasing power and the upcoming legislative and presidential elections.

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Market capitalization of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has surpassed its psychological boundary of IDR 5,000 trillion (USD $512.82 billion) last week, supported by the new record high level position of the Indonesia Stock Index (IHSG) on Friday at 5,145.68 points. Up to 17 May 2013, the IHSG gained 18.41 percent this year, thus outperforming all other major stock indices in Asia except for the Philippines and Japan's Nikkei, which gained 41.64 percent this year amid an aggressive stimulus plan of the central bank of Japan.

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The government of Indonesia unveiled the last installment of a series of three stimulus packages on Wednesday (07/10). The first two installments had been unveiled last month. In general, these stimulus packages aim to boost economic growth of Indonesia (which has slowed to a six-year low) and restore investors' confidence in the Indonesian rupiah and stocks. When markets believed that the Federal Reserve would soon raise its key interest rate, Indonesia was plagued by severe capital outflows pushing the rupiah to a 17-year low.

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In the latest edition of its flagship publication, the World Economic Outlook (WEO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is concerned that sluggish global economic growth will persist in the foreseeable future particularly on the back of slowing growth in emerging markets (which account for the lion's share of global growth). The IMF's forecast for global growth in 2015 and 2016 was both cut by 0.2 percentage point to 3.1 percent (y/y) and 3.6 percent (y/y), respectively, from the July WEO Update. In 2014, the world economy grew 3.4 percent (y/y).

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Pemerintah Indonesia mengumumkan paket kebijakan ekonomi September yang kedua pada hari Selasa (29/09). Paket ini diperkenalkan dalam rangka mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia dan mendukung rupiah yang lemah. Pertumbuhan Produk Domestik Bruto (PDB) Indonesia telah melambat menjadi level terendah dalam enam tahun terakhir pada 4,67% pada basis year-on-year (y/y) di kuartal 2 tahun 2015, sementara rupiah telah melemah ke level terendah dalam 17 tahun terakhir terhadap dollar Amerika Serikat (AS). Capital outflows dari Indonesia adalah akibat dari pengetatan moneter di Amerika Serikat (AS), rendahnya harga-harga komoditi dan lambatnya pertumbuhan ekonomi global (terutama karena penurunan pertumbuhan ekonomi Republik Rakyat Tiongkok).

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In the latest update of its flagship publication Asian Development Outlook 2015, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said softer economic growth prospects of China and India in combination with slow recovery in the major industrial markets were reason why the ADB has cut its economic growth forecast for developing Asia in 2015 and 2016. The ADB now estimates GDP growth in developing Asia at 5.8 percent (y/y) in 2015 and 6.0 percent (y/y) in 2016, down from previous GDP growth forecasts of 6.3 percent (y/y) for both years.

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The central bank of Indonesia announced on Thursday (17/09) that it the country’s key interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, while maintaining the deposit facility rate at 5.50 percent and the lending facility rate at 8.00 percent. According to Bank Indonesia (BI) this decision is consistent with its efforts to push inflation towards the target corridor of 4±1 percent in both 2015 and 2016. In addition, the decision is also part of Bank Indonesia’s measures to anticipate possibilities of a Fed Fund Rate (FFR) hike.

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Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service cut its forecast for economic growth in Indonesia this year from five percent (y/y) to 4.7 percent (y/y) due to the perceived hard landing of China’s economy in combination with sluggish conditions in Japan and the Eurozone. Weak demand from China, the world’s second-largest economy and the top trading partner of Indonesia, is expected to continue to plague Indonesian exports and earnings.

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Sektor properti residensial di Indonesia tetap menarik di 2015 kendati ada beberapa faktor yang menghambat pertumbuhan selama dua tahun terakhir. Dalam kolom ini saya membahas faktor-faktor yang telah melambatkan pertumbuhan di sektor properti Indonesia dan bagaimana pihak berwenang (seperti bank sentral dan Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) merespon tantangan-tantangan ini melalui peraturan baru. Terakhir, saya menyediakan sebuah update mengenai rencana Pemerintah, yang baru saja diumumkan, untuk mengizinkan kepemilikan asing atas apartemen mewah.

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A total of 1,555,609 foreign tourists have visited the island of Bali, the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia, in the first five months of 2015, an 11.3 percentage point growth from the same period last year. Given that the number of foreign tourists usually peaks in the period June-September it is most likely that the government’s target of welcoming 4 million foreign tourists on Bali in 2015 will be achieved, or exceeded. Most tourists that visit Bali originate from Australia, China and Japan.

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In a bid to boost economic activity in Indonesia, the central bank (Bank Indonesia) revised several regulations involving down payments for the purchase of cars and motorcycles as well as the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratios for first or more home purchases by Indonesian citizens. Yati Kurniati, Director of Bank Indonesia’s Macroprudential Department, said that the central bank implemented the looser monetary policy in the property and automotive sectors in an effort to boost credit growth, hence boosting the whole economy.

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Hariyadi Sukamdani, Chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), expressed his concern about unemployment in Indonesia, particularly unemployment among the younger generation of Indonesians (aged between 15 and 29). Amid slowing economic growth over the past six years, various industries have been cutting employment. With roughly half of the total population below 30 years of age, Indonesia’s demographic bonus can turn into disaster if this potential workforce fails to obtain employment opportunities.

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