The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) is optimistic that its target of a total of 30 new initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2014 will be achieved as the 2014 elections are expected to bring positive market sentiments. Companies and investors are confident that a stronger and more balanced government will be inaugurated in October 2014; one that will foster higher economic growth. Moreover, previous election years have always shown that Indonesia's stock market gets a positive boost amid these elections.

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According to a survey from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 45.8 percent of the Indonesian electorate have still not decided which party or which presidential candidate to back in the legislative election (9 April 2014) and presidential election (9 July 2014). About 42.4 percent of the electorate knows who they will vote for, while 11.8 percent could not answer. These indications are based on a survey that involved interviews with 1,200 people in 33 provinces between 7-17 March 2014 (with a 2.83 percent margin of error).

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The latest survey of research institute Charta Politika Indonesia indicates that only three Indonesian political parties can rely on enough popular support to win the legislative election that will be held on 9 April 2014. These three parties are PDI Perjuangan (PDI-P), Golkar and Gerindra. Other parties will not have a chance to win the election based on the survey that was conducted in March 2014. Results of the March survey confirmed that these three parties' popularity grew markedly from the institute's December 2013 survey.

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Last week, global business magazine Fortune released the latest version of its world's 50 greatest leaders ranking. Fortune's annual ranking is based on a person's possession of rare leadership skills, admirability as well as having an influential role in society. The list was topped by Pope Francis who is considered to have attracted legions of non-Catholic admirers through the setting of a new direction. There was also one Indonesian leader included in the list. Governor of Jakarta Joko Widodo (popularly known as Jokowi) was ranked at number 37.

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At the end of last week, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (better known as Jokowi) inaugurated the Kota Tua revitalization program in North Jakarta. Kota Tua (Old Batavia) is the oldest part of Jakarta, spanning 1.3 square kilometres, and used to be the center of Dutch colonial rule in the 17th and 18th century (in the 19th century the Dutch moved its administrative center to the south). Today, Kota Tua still breathes a colonial atmosphere through the old architecture and museums, attracting tourists on a daily basis.

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Indonesia's Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan announced on Friday (31/01) that he resigned - with immediate effect - from the cabinet in order to focus on his ambition to become the next president of Indonesia in the 2014 presidential election, scheduled for 9 July. Wirjawan aims to be selected as presidential candidate in the Democratic Party’s presidential convention. The Democratic Party (PD), the political vehicle of current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was the largest party at the 2009 elections but has since lost popularity.

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After two days of demonstrations by tens of thousands of Indonesian workers, the Governor of Jakarta (Joko Widodo) raised the capital's minimum wage to IDR 2.4 million (USD $213) per month. The new minimum wage, proposed by the Jakarta Wage Council, will be implemented in 2014 and constitutes a 10% increase from the current minimum wage of IDR 2.2 million. The workers, however, had demanded for a minimum wage of IDR 3.7 million causing various institutions and analysts to express concerns about the impact on the investment climate.

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In order to tackle Jakarta's grave traffic problem, brought on by a lack of quantity and quality of infrastructure and public transportation in combination with millions of daily travelers, governor Joko Widodo has given great priority to the development of the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT). Similar to the Sunda Strait Bridge, Jakarta's MRT project has been a topic of heated discussion and study for decades. However, pressure from Jakarta's governor Joko Widodo (who is better known as Jokowi) put an end to the lingering delay.

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Joko Widodo, who became Governor of Jakarta in 2012 and enjoys much popular support, has high ambitions to turn Jakarta into a better organized city in terms of public transportation, housing and water management. Currently, Indonesia's capital city - which contains about ten million inhabitants - is plagued by continuous traffic jams, annual floods as well as poor and overcrowded housing for the poorer segments of Jakarta's society. Housing which is frequently flooded.

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In late 2012, the local Jakarta government decided to increase the monthly minimum wage to IDR 2.2 million (US $229), a 44 percent increase from the previous standard. This rigorous change was one of the first policy changes of the newly elected Joko Widodo administration. Joko Widodo (often referred to as Jokowi) enjoys huge popular support and, similar to Barrack Obama at the start of his reign, provides hope to Jakartans, who have high expectations of his administration.

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In the past couple of days Indonesian media touched upon the government’s proposal to revive a law that had been removed by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court in 2006. This law makes the act of insulting the Indonesian president an illegal act and can lead to prison sentences and fines. Criticism on the government’s proposal immediately emerged as several legislators and human rights activists fear that freedom of speech will be curtailed in the young democracy. Moreover, it can further erode public support for President Joko Widodo.

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Ahead of the release of Indonesia’s official first quarter GDP growth figure (scheduled to be released in the first week of May), Indonesian stocks fell and the rupiah depreciated (slightly) against the US dollar on the back of weak market sentiments that have plagued Indonesian markets over the past week. Most importantly, weaker-than-expected Q1-2015 corporate earnings reports of listed Indonesian blue chips have made market participants concerned that Indonesia’s economic slowdown has continued into the first quarter of 2015.

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Investment realization in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2015 totaled IDR 124.6 trillion (USD $9.7 billion), up 16.9 percent from the same quarter last year. Domestic direct investment climbed 22.8 percent (y/y) to IDR 42.5 trillion, while foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 14 percent (y/y) to IDR 82.1 trillion in Q1-2015. These data, released by the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) on Tuesday (28/04), brought some positivity in Indonesia after listed companies’ weak Q1-2015 financial results led to concern and capital outflow.

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Within a couple of days Statistics Indonesia (BPS) is scheduled to release Indonesia’s GDP growth figure for the first quarter of 2015. Despite economic growth forecasts for full-year 2015 - both of the Indonesian government and international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) - signalling a rebound from the five-year low of 5.02 percent (y/y) in 2014, various analysts expect to see further slowing economic growth in Q1-2015.

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One of the ambitious targets of the Indonesian government is the realization of the “One Million Houses Program”. Through this program - scheduled to be launched on 30 April 2015 in Central Java by President Joko Widodo - the government aims to provide adequate housing facilities to low income citizens. Over half of these houses will be built using funds from the country’s state budget. State funds will also be used to finance the Housing Loan Liquidity Facility, government-backed mortgages for low-income people.

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Although Indonesia’s economic growth slowed further in 2014, there is optimism that growth will accelerate in 2015 despite sluggish global economic conditions (curbing Indonesia’s export performance) and Bank Indonesia’s relatively high interest rate environment. Indonesia’s central bank has raised its BI rate several times over the past one and a half years in an effort to combat high inflation (caused by fuel price hikes), curb capital outflows ahead of US monetary tightening, limit the current account deficit and support the rupiah.

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Positive macroeconomic data of Indonesia - involving the significantly lower trade deficit in 2014 and easing inflation - had a good impact on the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate on Tuesday (03/02) although prior to closing the currency somewhat slid after Australia's central bank cut its interest rates causing speculation of further policy easing around the Asia Pacific region in a move to support sluggish growth and avert deflation. Most emerging Asian currencies strengthened on Tuesday against the US dollar on stronger risk appetite.

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The Finance Ministry of Indonesia announced that it plans to inject USD 1.63 billion into state-owned financing company Sarana Multi Infrastruktur and to transform this company into an infrastructure bank in a move to boost infrastructure development across Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The central government needs private capital to fund its massive infrastructure program for the next five years as it can only account for 30 percent of required investment. For the remainder it relies on private capital and state-owned enterprises.

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After five foreigners and one Indonesian citizen were executed by firing squad on early Sunday morning (18/01), diplomatic tensions have risen. Despite international appeals from Brazil and the Netherlands, the Indonesian government decided to go-ahead with the execution of six convicted drug traffickers, involving four men (from Brazil, the Netherlands, Malawi and Nigeria), and two women (from Indonesia and Vietnam). Brazil and the Netherlands have recalled their ambassadors from Jakarta.

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In his presentation at the Indonesia Investment Summit 2015, organized in Jakarta on 15-16 January, Standard Chartered Bank Senior Economist Fauzi Ichsan said that despite the challenges amid global uncertain times, there remains plenty room and opportunity for Indonesia to grow robustly on the long-term. In fact, by 2030 Ichsan believes that Indonesia will be among the world's top ten countries in terms of largest economies. For investors it is important to understand the challenges and key pillars of economic growth.

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