According to data from the Financial Services Authority (OJK), foreign banks operating in Indonesia have posted great profit growth in the January to May 2014 period. Combined, these foreign banks have recorded a 94.36 percentage point growth (year-on-year) in profit to IDR 3.79 trillion (USD $323.9 million) in the first five months of this year. The reason behind this jump in profit is the sharply depreciated rupiah exchange rate. Over the course of 2013, the rupiah fell over 25 percent against the US dollar.

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Chitose Internasional, an Indonesian furniture manufacturer intends to release 30 percent of its enlarged capital through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in June 2014. Currently, the company is trying to obtain approval from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in order to conduct the IPO. President Director of Chitose Internasional Dedie Suherlan said that the proceeds will be used for the construction of a new factory, which will produce wood-based furniture products. This factory should become operational in 2015.

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Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) announced that it is studying the requests of seven Indonesian companies to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the first semester (January-June) of 2014. If the OJK grants permission to these requests, it means that 17 companies will have conducted an IPO on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the first half of 2014. In total, 30 new company listings are expected on the IDX in 2014.

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Following the enactment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) will allow foreign insurance corporations to open a branch office in Indonesia. The AEC will transform the ASEAN region into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, as well as a freer flow of capital. Currently, foreign insurance corporations are prohibited from opening a branch in Indonesia unless it is in the form of a joint venture company with a 80 percent foreign ownership limit.

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Indonesia's new Financial Services Authority (OJK) is currently processing plans of several companies that intend to conduct their initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the first quarter of 2014. Continued enthusiasm of companies for a listing on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) indicates bullish sentiment. Director of the IDX, Ito Warsito, expects a total of 15 new listings in Q1-2014, while the target for full year 2014 remains at 30. In 2013, 31 companies were added on the IDX.

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Credit growth in Indonesia's banking sector in 2014 is estimated to range between 17 and 18 percent. This estimation is higher than the central bank's target of 15 to 17 percent but lower than credit growth in 2013. According to Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, OJK), this pace of growth is at a safe level. Third party funds are projected to grow 16 to 16.5 percent, while the OJK did not provide an estimation of the loan to deposit ratio (LDR) yet although it did say that the LDR was at a safe level too.

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On Sunday 5 January 2014, Indonesia Investments released its latest newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on during the last seven days on our website. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as an update on Indonesia's inflation and current account deficit, initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2014, car sales, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Indonesia's aviation industry.

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The Financial Services Authority of Indonesia (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, abbreviated OJK) is studying the possibility to raise the minimum ratio of shares that has to be offered to the public for an initial public offering (IPO) to 30 percent. Currently, a company that conducts an IPO on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) needs to offer at least 10 percent of its enlarged capital to the public. Previously, the stock exchange had suggested to raise the minimum ratio to 20 percent. However, the OJK seems eager to push the boundary higher.

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The Indonesia Stock Exchange expects that 30 companies will conduct their initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2014. This target is the same as the target that had been set for this year. Next year, legislative and political elections in Indonesia will bring some uncertainties to the Indonesian market and may be a reason for some companies to postpone the IPO. Up to now, six companies have announced to conduct their IPO in 2014. In 2013 so far, 25 companies have been newly listed on the IDX.

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The Financial Services Authority of Indonesia (OJK or Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) announced that six more Indonesian companies are planning to conduct their initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2013. The OJK is currently processing the applications, which should see the listings materialize in Q4-2013. One company that was expected to conduct its IPO, but postponed, was Puradelta Lestari. The company was not willing to conduct the IPO in the midst of current bearish market conditions in Indonesia.

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The digital economy of Indonesia has been booming over the past 15 years. Today, life without Internet, smartphones, and apps is unimaginable for most people (both for personal and business reasons).

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Rapid development of financial technology (fintech), which involves the delivery of financial services that use the latest technology and innovation to compete with the world's traditional financial methods, is also visible in Indonesia.

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Indonesia's gross national savings per gross domestic product (GDP) remained stagnant according to a statement from the nation's Financial Services Authority (OJK) earlier this week. This indicates that Indonesian residents do not manage to save money, but rather focus on consumption. Based on data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Indonesia's gross national savings per GDP stood at 30.87 percent in 2015. For comparison, figures of Singapore and China stood at 46.73 percent and 48.87 percent, respectively.

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Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the central government's agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector, needs to hire hundreds of new staff in order to safeguard monitoring of the nation's banking sector and to enhance its early warning system in order to detect possible corruption cases. As up to 350 OJK workers are expected to return to the central bank per 1 January 2017, good monitoring of the banking sector is in jeopardy.

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Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the nation's financial services sector, is preparing a new regulation that requires conventional financial institutions in Indonesia to spin off their Islamic financial units before 17 October 2024. Islamic finance or Islamic banking is a type of banking that is in accordance to the principles of sharia (Islamic law). Based on the regulation, those financial institutions that generate at least 50 percent of their capital through Islamic finance have to comply with the new rule.

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Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) issued a new regulation that simplifies the opening of a foreign currency bank account by a foreign national (expat). A circular, S-246/S.01/2015 (dated 15 September 2015 and signed by OJK Chairman Muliaman D. Hadad), has been sent to all directors of Indonesian commercial banks that conduct business in foreign currencies. This new rule, part of the economic policy package that was released by the Indonesian government on 9 September, aims to boost foreign currency funds in Indonesia and support the rupiah.

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Soon it will be easier for foreigners (expats) to have a foreign currency bank account (non-rupiah) in Indonesia. Muliaman D. Hadad, Chairman of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), stated it is bound to issue a new regulation that allows for easier banking in foreign currencies in Indonesia. This regulation is made in an effort to raise the country’s foreign exchange reserves and support the ailing rupiah.

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After a real roller coaster ride, Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index) climbed 0.35 percent to 4,446.20 points at the end of the trading week. The majority of key stock indices across the globe tended to strengthen on Friday after a week characterized by severe volatility amid concern about the economic situation in China.

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Indonesian financial authorities are considering to ease foreign ownership limits for local Islamic banks and to promote new sharia-compliant financial tools in an effort to make the Islamic finance industry more attractive to foreign investors and the Indonesian population. Despite having the world’s largest Muslim population and being a dynamic emerging economy, Indonesia plays only a very minor role in the global Islamic banking industry. Meanwhile, domestically, Islamic banking still seriously lags behind conventional banking.

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Syariah banking or Islamic finance is a large untapped potential in Indonesia, a country where about 13 percent of the total global Muslim population live. With nearly 90 percent of the 250 million people in Indonesia adhering to Islam, the market share of syariah (sharia) finance is remarkably low. At USD $24 billion, Islamic banks in Indonesia only held 4.9 percent of the country’s total banking assets in 2013, hence making Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) decide to launch a five-year roadmap in a move to boost syariah banking.

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