One of the businesses in Indonesia that thrive on the back of the large population and urbanization is the barbershop (hair salon). This is an example of a creative industry that is booming as demand is (in theory) omnipresent. Therefore, barbershops have mushroomed across the bigger cities, particularly in residential areas. For the richer segments of society there are expensive hair salons and stylists in the luxurious malls, while for the "ordinary" person there are plenty of cheaper barbershops on the streets of Jakarta.

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Indonesia's inflation was recorded at 0.22 percent month-on-month (m/m) in July 2017. On Tuesday morning (01/08) Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS) said July inflation was attributed to rising prices in most expenditure group indices, but particularly foodstuffs (+0.21 percent), processed food, beverages, cigarettes and tobacco (+0.57 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas and fuel (+0.06 percent), clothing (+0.06 percent), health (+0.15 percent), and education, recreation and sports (+0.62 percent).

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The coal price extended gains on Monday (31/07) amid the crude oil rally that has been triggered by OPEC agreements. On Monday the price of coal (January 2018 contracts, the most active contract on the Rotterdam commodities exchange) rose 1.08 percent to USD $79.35 per metric ton, the highest level in nearly three years (while in early trading the price had actually tumbled 4.52 percent).

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia fell further in July 2017, touching a one-year low. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was recorded at 48.6 in July, falling deeper into contraction. In the preceding month the index was 49.5 (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion). Declining new orders caused a sharp and rapid drop in output in Indonesia's manufacturing sector. This then led to job losses, fewer quantities of inputs purchased and depletion in stock levels.

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