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The Indonesian rupiah rate appreciated modestly in September 2019. The currency started the month at the level of IDR 14,237 per US dollar and ended the month at IDR 14,174 per US dollar (data taken from Bank Indonesia’s benchmark Jisdor rate). In other words, the rupiah strengthened 0.44 percent against greenback in the month of September 2019.
Emerging market assets in Asia remained under pressure on Thursday (16.05.2019), with risk appetite being particularly undermined by rising concerns over USA-China trade tensions.
The Indonesian rupiah made a stable performance against the US dollar in February 2019. The benchmark JISDOR rate of Bank Indonesia ended the second month of the year at the position of IDR 14,062 per US dollar, appreciating modestly from the level of IDR 14,072 per US dollar at the last trading day of January 2019.
In the month of December 2018 the Indonesian rupiah weakened 0.99 percent from IDR 14,339 per US dollar on the last trading day of November 2018 to IDR 14,481 per US dollar on the last trading day of December 2018 (based on Bank Indonesia’s benchmark JISDOR rate).
On Monday (07/01) Indonesia Investments released the December 2018 edition of its monthly research report. The report aims to inform the reader of the key political, economic and social developments that occurred in Indonesia in the month of December 2018 and also touches upon key international developments that impacted on the Indonesian economy.
Although we predicted in our latest research report that Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) would raise its benchmark interest rate at the two-day monetary policy meeting on 14-15 November 2018, we were still taken by surprise after the decision was announced. After all, the rupiah had appreciated significantly in the days after the launch of our October research report.
Indonesia’s current account deficit is expected to widen to the range of 3.30 – 3.40 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2018, above the 3.0 percent of GDP threshold that is usually considered to separate a sustainable from an unsustainable deficit.
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) left its benchmark interest rate (the BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate) unchanged at 5.75 percent at the October 2018 policy meeting (22-23 October). Meanwhile, the deposit facility and lending facility rates were kept at 5.00 percent and 6.50 percent, respectively.
On Monday (08/10) Indonesia Investments released the September 2018 edition of its monthly research report. The report aims to inform the reader of the key political, economic and social developments that occurred in Indonesia in the month of September 2018 and also touches upon key international developments that impacted on the Indonesian economy.
While most of the focus, rightfully, remains centered on the disaster in Central Sulawesi where presumably thousands of people have lost their lives due to a big earthquake and devastating tsunami, it is worth keeping an eye on the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate which is again facing heavy pressures and has now slipped beyond the psychological boundary of IDR 15,000 per US dollar.
Latest Columns Rupiah
Chief executive officers (CEOs) in Indonesia have become slightly less optimistic about the Indonesian economy and politics. This makes sense considering the presence of simmering global trade tensions, sharp rupiah depreciation against the US dollar, and Bank Indonesia's recent series of interest rate hikes.
One of the national industries that is heavily affected by the weak rupiah exchange rate is Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry. Considering around 90 percent of raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry need to be imported from abroad (in US dollars), production costs rise sharply in times of significant rupiah depreciation. It is estimated that materials imported from abroad account for about 75 percent of pharmaceutical companies' total production costs.
In an ad hoc press conference on Thursday (26/04) Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo provided an update on the performance of the Indonesian rupiah as well as an update on the strategies that are - or can be - used by the central bank to safeguard a stable rupiah. When the ad hoc press conference was announced we initially expected to see an interest rate hike. However, based on a statement from Bank Indonesia, this seems to be the last option the central bank wants to use.
Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell 1.24 percent to 6,229.63 points on Tuesday (24/04). The performance of Indonesian stocks were in line with the general trend in Southeast Asia. Due to rising US treasury yields (touching nearly 3 percent, its highest level since January 2014) investors withdraw their funds from riskier assets in emerging markets. Concerns over US inflation and the fiscal deficit are behind the rising US treasury yield.
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) said the country's current account deficit remained under control, albeit widening in the last quarter of 2017. Indonesia's current account deficit reached USD $5.8 billion or 2.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Q4-2017 (up from a deficit of USD $4.6 billion or 1.7 percent of GDP in the preceding quarter).
Although the Indonesian rupiah has been strengthening against the US dollar since mid-December 2017, the rupiah may encounter serious pressures in the year 2018 amid US tax reforms, the US Federal Reserve's further monetary tightening, and unstable geopolitics. Meanwhile, Indonesian exports are expected to grow, but only in the range of 5-6 percent year-on-year (unlike 2017 when the nation's exports rebounded 17 percent).
Earlier this week, the central banks of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia), Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia), Thailand (Bank of Thailand) jointly announced the launch of the local currency settlement framework. This framework aims at boosting the use of local currencies in transactions (specifically related to trade and investment) conducted between Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in an effort to reduce these countries' dependence on the US dollar.
The Bank Indonesia (BI) Board of Governors agreed to hold the BI 7-day Reverse Repo Rate at 4.25 percent, while maintaining the deposit facility and lending facility rates at 3.50 percent and 5.00 percent, respectively, effective per 20 October 2017. The decision was in line with efforts to maintain macroeconomic and financial system stability, while stimulating the domestic economic recovery.
After concluding its monthly two-day policy meeting on Thursday (20/07) the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to leave its interest rate environment unchanged. The BI 7-day (Reverse) Repo Rate (BI-7 day RR Rate) was kept at 4.75 percent, while the deposit facility and lending facility rates were kept at 4.00 percent and 5.50 percent, respectively.
Despite the suicide bombs attack in Jakarta on Wednesday evening (24/05) that killed 3 police officers (and the two militants) at a Jakarta bus station, the Jakarta Composite Index rose after opening on Friday (26/05), while the rupiah only weakened slightly against the US dollar (Thursday was a public holiday). It is yet another example of the fact that markets around the globe have become used to the existence of militant attacks. Particularly a relatively small attack will not lead to any negative sentiments.
