Foreign debt of Indonesia totaled USD $264 billion per December 2013. Based on data from Statistics Indonesia, 46.8 percent of this total debt was accounted for by the public sector, while the remaining 53.2 percent was private sector debt. On a year-on-year (yoy) basis, growth of Indonesia’s total debt slowed to 4.06 percent in the last month of 2013. One year earlier this growth was significantly higher at 12.0 percent. Indonesia’s level of foreign debt is still safe at 30.2 percent of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2013.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate extended its losing streak on Thursday (28/11). Bank Indonesia's mid rate plunged 0.99 percent to IDR 11,930 per US dollar, thus moving closer toward the psychological level of 12,000. Various local banks have already set the value of the currency above the 12,000 level on the spot market. It is the weakest level of the rupiah since 2009. Since Monday (25/11), the mid rate has depreciated 1.77 percent. This year so far, the currency has fallen 23.37 percent, thus becoming the worst performing Asian currency.

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Dayaindo Resources International (listed code: KARK), an Indonesian natural resources and mining, renewable energy and infrastructure investment company, will be delisted from the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on 27 December 2013. Procedures for the delisting started today (Wednesday 27/11). In July 2013, the IDX had already temporarily suspended trading in shares of Dayaindo Resources International due to the company's outstanding debt to several creditors.

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Indonesia’s foreign debt was recorded at USD $257.30 billion in August 2013, a 0.9 decrease compared to foreign debt in July 2013 (USD $259.61 billion). On an annual basis (yoy), foreign debt growth in August was 6.6 percent, thus slowing compared to July’s growth of 7.4 percent (yoy). The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) considers that the slowing growth in the country's foreign debt is in line with the slowing growth of the domestic economy. Indonesia's GDP growth forecast has been revised down to below the six percent mark.

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Bakrie Telecom is one of the dozen Indonesian telecommunications operators that provide fixed digital radio cellular telecommunication network and services. The company currently has around 12 million cellular subscribers (mostly prepaid). However, both its operational and financial results are showing a worrying development. In April 2013, Fitch Ratings said that Bakrie Telecom is likely to default on its debt and needs to restructure its USD $380 million senior unsecured bonds due in May 2015.

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Indonesia Investments updated the company profile of Bumi Resources, a leading Indonesian natural resources group focused primarily on coal mining. The company is Indonesia's largest coal miner by production volume and the world's largest thermal coal exporter. However, due to weak global demand and weak corporate management, the company is at risk of default in the near future due to maturity of its debts. Moody’s has downgraded Bumi’s corporate rating from Caa1 to Ca.

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Growth of Indonesia's foreign debt has slowed down in July 2013 according to data from Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia). Total foreign debt in July 2013 stood at USD $259.54 billion, a 7.3 percent increase compared to the same month in 2012. In June 2013, the year on year growth had been 8 percent. Bank Indonesia stated that it considers Indonesia's current foreign debt situation - both in the private and public sector - as healthy. Growth has slowed down as a consequence of the slowing national economy.

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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.

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Indonesian central government debt increased IDR 15.8 trillion (USD $1.6 billion) in the first quarter of 2013 to a total current debt of IDR 1,991.22 trillion (USD $205.3 billion). This total debt consists of loans amounting to IDR 590.2 trillion (USD $60.8 billion) and government securities (Surat Berharga Negara, or SBN) totaling 1,401.1 trillion (USD $144.4 billion). The loans are divided in foreign loans (IDR 588.4 trillion) and domestic loans (IDR 1.8 trillion). The country's debt-to-GDP ratio is currently approximately 24 percent.

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When speaking with Indonesians about the performance of the Indonesian government under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, high government debt is usually mentioned as a key source of concern (especially in case the conversation partner is not supportive of the Widodo administration).

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Trading in shares of Bakrie & Brothers, which are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, have again been suspended by authorities (for the second time this month) due to a massive decline in the share price. The plunge occurred after Bakrie & Brothers conducted a 10:1 reverse stock split in late-May 2018. Through this corporate action the company reduced the total number of its outstanding shares.

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One of Indonesia's long standing companies - and also one of the most controversial ones in Indonesia - Bakrie & Brothers plans to offer part of its shares to creditors Mitsubishi Corporation, Glencore International, and Eurofa Capital Investment in a debt for equity swap. This plan is part of the company's efforts to restructure USD $453 million worth of debt through mandatory convertible bonds. Indra Ginting, Chief Investor Relation Officer at Bakrie & Brothers, confirmed the company owes Mitsubishi USD $150 million, Glencore USD $200 million, and Eurofa Capital USD $103 million.

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In the past two weeks, two of the big international credit rating agencies released new reports about Indonesia's fiscal situation. Both agencies affirmed Indonesia's sovereign debt rating: Fitch Ratings kept Indonesia at BBB-/stable (investment grade class) and Standard & Poor's (S&P) maintained Indonesia at BB+/positive (highest junk level, one notch below investment grade). S&P's decision to keep Indonesia within the junk level category was met with disappointment among investors and Indonesian government officials but perhaps not that surprisingly.

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American financial services company Standard & Poor's warns that defaults by Indonesian companies are a serious threat over the next 18 months given their eroded balance sheets amid the country's current economic slowdown. The warning came after Indonesian mobile phone retailer Trikomsel Oke announced plans to restructure about USD $155 million worth of debt as it may not be capable to meet obligations indefinitely.

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Bank Indonesia announced today that the country’s total foreign debt rose 7.6 percent (y/y) to USD $298.1 billion in the first quarter of 2015. This figure means that the pace of the country’s foreign debt growth has slowed from the 10.2 percentage point growth (y/y) that was recorded in the preceding quarter. Both public and private sector foreign debt growth slowed as both sectors are more careful to take up loans amid a weakening rupiah while export revenues decline amid sluggish global (and domestic) economic growth.

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On Friday (17/04) Indonesia’s central bank (Bank Indonesia) announced that the country’s foreign debt grew 9.4 percent (y/y) to USD $298.9 billion in February 2015, thus slower than the 10.5 percent (y/y) growth rate in the preceding month. Indonesia’s external debt growth slowed as both public and private sectors refrained from taking more debt. Public sector foreign debt grew 4.4 percent (y/y) to USD 134.8 billion, while private sector foreign debt rose 13.8 percent (y/y) to USD $164.1 billion in February.

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Foreign debt of Indonesia accelerated 11.8 percent year-on-year (y/y) to USD $294.4 billion in November 2014. This total debt of USD $294.4 billion in November 2014 consists of public foreign debt of USD $133.9 billion and private foreign debt of USD $160.5 billion. The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) stated that public foreign debt rose 8.6 percent (y/y) mainly on a rise in foreign holdings on government debt securities. Meanwhile, the growth pace of private foreign debt slightly eased.

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At the Indonesia Investment Summit 2015, organized in Jakarta on 15-16 January 2015, Bank Indonesia official Arief Mahmud presented several views of the central bank on the current Indonesian economy and the global and domestic challenges that it faces. As is widely known, Indonesia has been experiencing a process of slowing economic growth since 2011 due to sluggish global economic growth in combination with the rebalancing of the domestic economy. However, growth is expected to accelerate in 2015.

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The central bank of Indonesia recently issued new regulations (Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 16/21/PBI/2014 and External Circular No. 16/24/DKEM) that aim to safeguard Indonesia’s financial fundamentals. These new regulations, which are an improvement of Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 16/20/PBI/2014 dated Oct. 28 2014, force Indonesian non-bank corporations to apply prudent fiscal management regarding foreign-denominated debt. Bank Indonesia felt these rules are needed as privately-held foreign debt rises continuously.

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