• Asian Development Bank Downgrades Growth Forecasts for Asia

    In its latest report, titled Asian Development Outlook Supplement, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded its forecast for economic growth in both 2013 and 2014 for developing Asia due to weak demand from industrial countries and slowing economic growth in China. The ADB revised down its growth forecast for developing Asia by 0.3 percent to 6.3 percent in 2013 and 6.4 percent in 2014. The Manila-based development bank also expects commodity prices to fall sharper than previously estimated. 

    Read more ›

  • Award for Express Transindo Utama as Revenue and Share Price Grow

    Express Transindo Utama (TAXI), an Indonesian taxi operator controlled by Peter Sondakh's Rajawali Corpora, received the award for 'Warta Ekonomi's Best New Listed Company'. Warta Ekonomi is one of Indonesia's renowned business and economic magazines. The taxi operator received the award because its business is experiencing good growth as can be seen from its stock performance. In 2013, its shares rose 72.94 percent. The company is the first, and only, taxi operator that went public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX).

    Read more ›

  • Inflationary Pressure due to Indonesia's Higher Food Prices during Ramadan

    Prices of certain food products in Indonesia have risen steeply during the first week of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month. Higher prices are a sensitive issue at the moment as the country is fighting higher inflation after subsidized fuel prices were increased in June. Therefore, the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 bps to 6.50 percent last week. If inflation exceeds 2.3 percent in July (month to month) then it might result in another upward revision of the interest rate, thus slowing down Indonesia's economic growth.

    Read more ›

  • Indonesian Airliner Merpati Nusantara Offers 35% of its Shares to Investors

    State-owned airline Merpati Nusantara Airlines will sell between 30 and 35 percent of its shares to domestic or foreign investors. The government feels the need to sell a stake as the airline has a debt of about IDR 6 trillion (USD $603 million). Most of this debt, about IDR 4 trillion, is held in Indonesia (government and state-owned enterprises). As such, the company is in need of new funds to restructure its business model. Last year, the airline carried 2.1 million passengers.

    Read more ›