The Today's Headlines section of Indonesia Investments is a daily updated section which contains the latest information with regard to topics that are currently causing headlines in Indonesia's media. Most of our headlines will cover political, economic and social matters. As a consequence of their recent nature, these topics may not have crystallized fully yet and can, therefore, lack a profound analysis. For publications with a more in-depth understanding of subjects, we refer you to our News, Financial or Business columns.
Indonesia's consumer price index (CPI) finished the year 2017 at the level of 3.61 percent year-on-year (y/y), slightly higher than analysts' forecasts but well within the government's full-year inflation target of 4.3 percent. Indonesian full-year 2017 inflation was the nation's highest annual inflation since 2014 when inflation surged to 8.36 percent (y/y) due to fuel subsidy reforms.
Indonesia's current account balance is expected to show a deficit for the next five years. The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) does not rule out a surplus within that period but it would require some serious work in terms of structural reform-making. Indonesia started to record current account deficits in late-2011 due to the ballooning oil import bill (before the government slashed energy subsidies) and weak commodity prices after 2011.
Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (in Indonesian: Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, or OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector, urges the nation's sharia banks to become more selective in terms of disbursing credit in order to strengthen the quality of loans in Indonesia's Islamic finance industry.
Although tax revenue realization will not achieve the target that was set by the Indonesian government in the (revised) 2017 state budget, the government's customs and excise revenue target has been achieved this year. Data from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise show that IDR 189.36 trillion (approx. USD $14 billion) was collected in customs and excise revenue up to 28 December 2017, equivalent to 100.11 percent of the full-year target.
