According to the latest data of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2017 was recorded at a modest pace of 0.9 percent year-to-year (y/y) to IDR 97 trillion, sliding further from a growth pace of 2.1 percent (y/y) in the preceding quarter. Declining FDI is attributed to the ethnic and religious tensions in Jakarta (surrounding the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election) as well as persistent global uncertainties. The FDI data exclude investment in the country's banking and the oil & gas sector.

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The economies of Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia may feel the impact of US President Donald Trump's impending tax reforms. Currently markets are focused on these reforms. On Wednesday (26/04) Trump is set to propose steep cuts in US corporate taxes (from 35 percent to 15 percent) and the tax rate on offshore earnings that are repatriated (from 35 percent to 10 percent), while individual taxes will be simplified. These proposals will require US Congress approval before implementation.

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The visit of American Vice President Mike Pence to Indonesia was fruitful in terms of investment. A total of 11 commercial and investment deals were signed between Indonesian and US companies that is estimated to have a combined value of USD $10 billion. On Thursday morning (20/04) Pence met Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss overcoming obstacles that limit bilateral trade and investment between both nations. One day later Pence departed to Australia.

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Worldwide famous brand Coca Cola strengthened its presence in Indonesia by opening a USD $30 million production line in Bekasi (West Java). The new production line is owned by Coca Cola Bottling Indonesia, the local unit of Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA). The latter is the largest bottler and distributor of ready-to-drink beverages in the Asia-Pacific region, and one of the largest bottlers of The Coca Cola Company. CCA operates in Australia (where its headquarters are based), New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa.

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Although Mercedes-Benz has a long history in Indonesia, it only opened its first body and paint service center in Southeast Asia's largest economy on Friday (31/03). The facility's exact location is the Cakrawala Automotif Rabhasa facility, plotted on 11,000 square meters of land in Tangerang (Banten). Here consumers can bring their Mercedez-Benz for authorized repair services with quality and safety assurance that is certified by Germany's Daimler, Mercedes' parent company.

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American multinational technology company Apple Inc soon has to realize 40 percent of its total USD $44 million worth of investment plans in Indonesia if it wants to keep distributing its iPhone 7 on the Indonesian market. Late last year Apple committed itself to invest a total of USD $44 million in the establishment of innovation centers in Indonesia over the next three years. However, 40 percent of the total is required to be invested in the first year (which is 2017).

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The visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia between 1-9 March 2017 is expected to result in a boost of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the Middle Eastern nation into Indonesia. During his state visit to Indonesia, the Saudi king is expected to sign a USD $6 billion investment agreement related to a refinery complex in Cilacap (Central Java) that is owned by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco), widely regarded as one of the world's most valuable companies, and Indonesia's state-owned energy company Pertamina.

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The Yamaha Corporation plans to invest IDR 568.5 billion (approx. USD $43 million) to develop a musical instrument manufacturing factory in Indonesia. Japan-based Yamaha Corporation is a multinational with a wide range of products and services, including musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles and power sports equipment. Earlier this week Yamaha announced it has established a new subsidiary in Indonesia: Yamaha Musical Products Asia (YMPA).

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Indonesia's manufacturing sector is targeted to provide employment to a total of 16.3 million workers in 2017, up 5 percent from 15.5 million workers in the preceding year. As such, development of the manufacturing industry is a good strategy to reduce Indonesia's unemployment rate. Industries within the manufacturing sector of Indonesia that absorb the highest number of workers are the textile, footwear, food & beverage, and automotive industries.

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Investment in Indonesia is expected to rise in 2017. This covers both direct investment and portfolio investment. Domestic direct investment (DDI) should grow on the back of Indonesia's low interest rate environment (making it cheaper for domestic investors to purchase credit) as well as higher capital injections (from the state budget) into Indonesia's state-owned enterprises. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected to rise on the back of Indonesia's accelerating economic growth and government reforms. Both FDI and DDI should also rise amid rising commodity prices.

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The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said that total realized investments in Indonesia in the third quarter of 2013 was recorded at IDR 100.5 trillion (USD $8.89 billion). Of this total figure, IDR 67.0 trillion (USD $5.93 billion) was accounted for by foreign direct investment (FDI), while the remainder (IDR 33.5 trillion) was classified as domestic direct investment (DDI). The total investment realization of IDR 100.5 trillion was the highest ever quarterly investment figure since the BKPM releases these quarterly results.

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Apart from the five tax incentives that I have mentioned in a previous column, the Indonesian government also intends to ease two other tax rules in order to boost investments in Indonesia from 2014 onwards. These are the tax holiday and tax allowance. Relaxation of the tax holiday involves an alteration to the period as well as the size of the investment, and relaxation of procedural difficulties. Relaxation of the tax allowance involves the revision of the number of sectors that are eligible and a relaxation of procedures in the form of tax clearance.

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Growth of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) in Indonesia has continued to slow down in the first six months of 2013. In the first quarter of 2013, GFCF rose 5.78 percent but in the second quarter the pace fell to 4.67 percent. These results are much lower than last year's quarterly growth rates as can be seen in the table below. In fact, the growth rate in Q2-2013 constitutes the lowest growth rate in the last 13 quarters. In Q2-2013, all sectors experienced weakening investments except for domestic machinery and equipment.

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After several years of significant foreign capital inflows into Indonesia, a sharp contrast has been visible in recent weeks. Global panic that followed in the days after Ben Bernanke announced that the Federal Reserve intends to withdraw its quantitative easing program in 2014 (if economic recovery of the USA continues), hit Indonesia hard. It triggered a massive capital outflow from the country's stock exchange (IDX) as well as from government securities (Surat Berharga Negara, or SBN).

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Although the United States continues its traditional focus on direct investments in developed countries, primarily in Western Europe, there has been a significant rise in US investments in Indonesia in recent years. Whereas US investments in the developed economies of Western Europe is mostly found in the financial sector and through holding companies, in developing Asia, the US is more focused on the manufacturing sector due to lower production costs. In the last two years, the US emerged as the second-largest investor in Indonesia after Japan.

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Foreign investment in Indonesia has maintained its steady pace in the first quarter of 2013. Ahead of next year's presidential and legislative elections, which trigger uncertainties about the future course of the country, foreigners have bought more Indonesian stocks in Q1-2013 than in the four quarters of 2012 combined. Moreover, foreign direct investments (FDIs) have increased by 27 percent (YoY) in Q1-2013 and show an interesting shift towards Indonesia's manufacturing sector.

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Rising American and European stock indices last Friday, helped to support Asian stock indices today (22 April 2013), including the Indonesia stock index (IHSG). However, the ongoing drama brought on by last Saturday's earthquake in China, impacted on the China stock index as well as on other Asian stock indices, including the IHSG. As the IHSG has been showing signs that it is overbought, market participants preferred to sell portions of their stock portfolios, resulting in a limited fall of the IHSG.

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In Quarter I 2013 (January-March), total investment in Indonesia increased 30.6 percent to IDR 93.0 trillion (US $9.58 billion) compared to the same period in 2012 according to data from the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal, abbreviated BKPM), a government institution. Of this total amount, about seventy percent is accounted for by foreign direct investment, while the remaining thirty percent constitutes domestic direct investment.

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This week, the World Bank published its Indonesia Economic Quarterly (IEQ, edition March 2013) titled 'Pressures Mounting'. It reports on key developments over the past three months in Indonesia’s economy, and places these in a longer-term and global context. To read the whole report, please visit the World Bank's website at www.worldbank.org or download this edition directly through this link. Below we present the executive summary.

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Despite the fact that Indonesia reported the world's third-highest GDP growth in 2012 (behind China's 7.4 percent and Saudi Arabia's 7.1 percent), supported by rising consumption by a burgeoning middle class and significant increased foreign direct investment, the country's performance in terms of competitiveness is disappointing. It is cheaper to import products from countries that contain competitive businesses than to produce them in Indonesia.

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