The latest Consumer Confidence Survey released by Indonesia’s central bank indicated that Indonesian consumers were more optimistic in January 2015 (compared to the previous month) on the back of recent fuel price cuts. The index, based on a total of 4,600 households across 18 major Indonesian cities, climbed to 120.2 points in January, up from 116.5 in the preceding month (a score above 100 signals consumer optimism). In December the index had declined due to higher administered fuel prices.

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Inflation in Indonesia is expected to have eased to 7.50 percent year-on-year (y/y) in January 2015 on the back of cheaper domestic fuel prices (triggered by sliding global oil prices). The month-on-month pace (m/m) in the first month of 2015 may have tumbled to near zero percent from 2.46 percent (m/m) in December 2014. Last year, Indonesian inflation had accelerated to 8.36 percent (y/y) primarily due to the implementation of higher prices for government administered low-octane gasoline and diesel in November 2014.

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The Indonesian government, central bank (Bank Indonesia) and Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to revise several macroeconomic targets in the Revised 2015 State Budget (APBN-P 2015). The revisions include the country’s economic growth (GDP) pace, the average rupiah exchange rate, and inflation target. In essence, the revisions indicate that Indonesian authorities have become less optimistic about the Indonesian economy in 2015 amid external pressures.

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The current account deficit of Indonesia, which is expected to have improved slightly from 3.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013 to about 3 percent of GDP in 2014, is forecast to continue to improve in 2015 hence placing less pressures on the rupiah exchange rate and the economy in general. A wide current account deficit makes the country vulnerable to capital outflows in times of global shocks (for example looming higher US interest rates) as the deficit signals that Indonesia relies on foreign funding.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to keep its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.75 percent at its Board of Governors’ Meeting on Thursday (15/01). The country’s Lending Facility and Deposit Facility were maintained at 8.00 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. According to the bank this interest rate environment is sufficient to push inflation, which has accelerated to 8.36 percent year-on-year (y/y) in December due to fuel subsidy reforms, back towards its target of 3 to 5 percent (y/y) in 2015.

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Despite having intervened to support the rupiah exchange rate, Indonesia’s central bank announced that the country’s foreign exchange reserves rose USD $800 million to USD $111.9 billion at the end of December 2014. The rise was primarily due to foreign exchange income from Indonesia’s oil and gas exports as well as the withdrawal of government’s foreign debt. Tirta Segara, Executive Director of Bank Indonesia, said that foreign exchange savings and banks swaps with Bank Indonesia had also increased at the end of 2014.

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Although many currencies weakened against the US dollar after the US Federal Reserve stated that it is on track to raise its key Fed Fund Rate "somewhere next year" amid structural improvement of the US economy (after having kept the rate near zero for a "considerable time"), Indonesia's rupiah opened strong on Thursday (18/12). Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, Indonesia’s currency had appreciated 0.91 percent to IDR 12,553 per US dollar at 9:15 local Jakarta time.

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Indonesia’s central bank decided to keep its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.75 percent at Thursday’s Board of Governors’ Meeting (11/12). The Lending Facility and Deposit Facility were kept at 8.00 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. The central bank is convinced that the current interest rate levels are effective to combat short-term inflationary pressures (triggered by the implementation of higher subsidized fuel prices in mid-November) pushing it back to the target corridor of between 3 and 4 percent (y/y) in 2015.

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The central bank of Indonesia projects non-performing loans (NPL) to rise to 2.4 percent of the country’s total outstanding loans by the end of the year, significantly up from 1.8 percent at the end of last year. Despite the acceleration of bad loans in Indonesia, the institution stated that it is still manageable. Meanwhile, loan growth in Indonesia is estimated to slow to 11 or 12 percent (y/y) by the end of 2014 (the slowest pace since 2010), down from 21.4 percent (y/y) in 2013 primarily due to the central bank’s monetary tightening policy.

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The central bank of Indonesia announced that the country’s foreign exchange reserves declined USD $900 million to USD $111.1 billion at the end of November 2014. The decline was primarily due to government debt repayments and the central bank’s use of foreign exchange to engage in monetary management. Meanwhile, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate - which had touched six year lows in recent days - appreciated 0.08 percent to IDR 12,299 per US dollar on Friday (05/12) based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index.

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At its latest monetary policy meeting, which ended on 18 February 2021, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to cut its benchmark interest rate (BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate), again, by 25 basis points (bps) to 3.50 percent, touching a historically low level.

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It came as a big surprise to us when the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced on 19 November 2020 (the day it concluded its two-day monetary policy meeting) that it decided to cut its benchmark interest rate (the seven-day reverse repo rate) by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent. Bank Indonesia also cut its deposit facility and lending facility rates by 25 basis points to 3.00 percent and 4.50 percent, respectively.

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In September 2020 concern arose over whether the House of Representatives (DPR) is trying to undermine the country’s central bank (Bank Indonesia)’s independence (from the government). The DPR’s legislation body came with a bill (a draft revision of the Bank Indonesia Law) that contains a number of controversial articles, making analysts concerned about the quality of future monetary policymaking in Indonesia.

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In February 2020 all eyes were on the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the global financial markets. Especially when the new virus spread across European countries toward the end of the month, market participants started selling their assets, causing huge sell-offs around the globe.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to cut its benchmark interest rate ("BI seven-day reverse repo rate") by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.75 percent at the two-day policy meeting on 19 and 20 February 2020.

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In line with expectations, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) kept its benchmark BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate at 6.00 percent at the February policy meeting that was held on 20-21 February 2019. Also the deposit facility and lending facility rates were kept at 5.25 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

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In line with expectations, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) left its interest rates unchanged at the last monetary policy meeting of 2018 (held on 19-20 December 2018). The benchmark BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate was held at 6.00 percent, while the deposit facility and lending facility rates were kept at 5.25 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

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Concerns about Indonesia's current account balance increased after Bank Indonesia announced last week that the country's current account deficit widened to USD $8.02 billion, or 3.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), in the second quarter of 2018. It is Indonesia's highest quarterly deficit since Q3-2014, thus putting additional pressures on the rupiah exchange rate.

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Bank Indonesia decided to hold the BI 7-day Reverse Repo Rate at 5.25 percent during the July 2018 monthly policy meeting. It also maintained the deposit facility and lending facility rates at 4.50 percent and 6.00 percent, respectively. Bank Indonesia believes the rates are consistent with its efforts to maintain domestic financial market attractiveness against a backdrop of pervasive uncertainty on global financial markets.

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This week two domestic events need to be carefully watched by those who invest in Indonesian assets: (1) the local elections that are scheduled for Wednesday 27 June, and (2) Bank Indonesia's monthly policy meeting that is scheduled for 27-18 June. Lets take a closer look at these events.

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