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Today's Headlines DPR
Considering the news seemed to have gone viral across the globe it is certainly worth devoting attention to Indonesia’s new Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, or KUHP). It is an important one because is the body of laws regulating how crimes are punished in Indonesia.
Barely two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Surabaya (East Java) and Pekanbaru (Riau) Indonesian parliament unanimously approved a new anti-terrorism law. It is actually a revision of Indonesia's 2003 Antiterrorism Law (which was regarded too weak to combat - and thwart - terrorist activities efficiently). The new bill was passed during a plenary session on Friday (25/05). The bill took more than two years of deliberation. However, the recent attacks significantly sped up the process.
Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) approved the government's proposed 2018 state budget bill in a plenary session on Wednesday (25/10), hence turning the bill into law. Taufik Kurniawan, Deputy House Speaker, announced this decision earlier today.
Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro is optimistic that the Tax Amnesty Bill can be turned into law at the next meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR). Although not all 27 articles of the Tax Amnesty Bill have been discussed yet among both institutions, the most crucial articles have been debated and the DPR seems to agree that the bill will raise the government's tax revenue. The government and DPR agree that deliberations should be completed by 28 July 2016.
Due to the lengthy talks needed among the Indonesian government and House of Representatives (DPR) about the Tax Amnesty Bill, there may be a further delay in implementing the bill that was originally planned to be implemented in early 2016. The government's proposed Tax Amnesty Bill offers low tax rates (and protection from prosecution) to those who declare untaxed wealth and repatriate their funds back to Indonesia. Through this bill the government aims to finance the widening budget deficit and obtain fresh tax revenue.
According to local media, Commission IV of Indonesia's House of Representatives and the central Indonesian government agree to temporarily suspend development of the land reclamation project off the coast of North Jakarta as seven violations of Indonesian law occurred during the process. Authorities want to undertake a more thorough study before construction continues. Herman Khaeron, Vice Chairman of Commission IV, claims Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as Ahok) has issued construction permits too soon without having a legal basis. Earlier, a corruption case related to this mega-project had made headlines.
Late on Friday evening (30/10), after 11 hours of discussion, Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) approved the 2016 State Budget. This is good news for the government as it now has the opportunity to reform fiscal policy and continue with its development programs. The government budget deficit is expected to rise to 2.15 percent of the country's gross domestic product (from 1.9 percent of GDP in the revised 2015 edition), a bit closer to the maximum three-percent-of-GDP rule that is allowed by Indonesian law.
The House of Representatives of Indonesia (DPR) is scheduled to meet on Thursday (22/10) to discuss the government's revised 2016 macroeconomic assumptions. In August 2015, Indonesian President Joko Widodo had unveiled the government's draft 2016 State Budget. However, due to overly optimistic assumptions, there has been the need for several revisions.
Apart from external factors (China’s weak manufacturing activity and persistent uncertainty about the timing of higher US interest rates) that plague Indonesian assets today, there are also domestic factors that push Indonesian stocks and the rupiah into the red. These domestic factors include Indonesia’s downgraded economic growth forecasts and the central bank’s downgraded rupiah outlook. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves - used to defend the rupiah - have declined further.
On Friday (14/08) the Indonesian government unveiled its 2016 State Budget draft at a session in the House of Representatives (DPR). The draft is important as it shows government targets regarding the macroeconomy of Indonesia and it shows on what fields the government will focus in terms of public spending. The government - led by Indonesian President Joko Widodo - is optimistic that economic growth will finally rebound after four years of slowing economic growth as its 2016 GDP growth target was set at 5.5 percent (y/y).
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Starting from 12 January 2014, the export of all mineral-ores are banned in Indonesia. This controversial new policy, stipulated by the 2009 Mining Law (on Minerals and Coal Mining), was agreed upon by the nine fractions in Commission VII of the Indonesian parliament (DPR). Through this new law, the government intends to increase the value of exports while reducing dependence on raw exports and thus becoming less vulnerable to price downswings on the global commodities market.
The government of Indonesia has revised the macroeconomic assumptions that are stated in the State Budgets (APBN) of 2013 and 2014 after a meeting with the budgetary body of the House of Representatives (Badan Anggaran DPR) on Wednesday (28/08). It is the third time that the 2013 State Budget has been revised in order to put it more in line with recent global developments. As the government was also too optimistic when drafting the 2014 Budget, it felt the need for a revision (only 12 days after the announcement of the Budget).
Most of us who were hoping for a limited weakening of Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) today (27/08) were to be disappointed. Instead of a limited decline, the IHSG fell 3.71 percent to 3,967.84 points. Market participants are concerned about both the global and domestic economy, thus pulling money out from Indonesia. The weakening rupiah and weak stock index openings in Europe (due to tensions in Syria) pushed the IHSG further down into red territory. Foreign investors were again net sellers of Indonesian assets.
Despite mixed Asian stock indices because of negative news from China and Japan, certainty about the increase in the price of Indonesia’s subsidized fuel after the plenary meeting of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday (17/06) formed a pillar of support for Indonesia’s main stock index (IHSG) on Tuesday’s trading day (18/06). Investors took the opportunity to buy stocks, particularly Indonesia’s big cap stocks, after these had experienced significant falls last week due to profit taking actions amid an uncertain market.
Despite weakening stock indices in the United States on Friday (14/06), most Asian indices were up on Monday (17/06) and impacted positively on the main index of Indonesia (IHSG). On the other hand, market participants are still waiting for the outcome of the plenary session of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) regarding the approval of the increase in the price of subsidized fuel. The market is speculating that the price increase will be approved even though a number of political parties oppose the plan.
Garuda Indonesia, one of the major airlines in Indonesia, has announced to conduct a rights issue in October 2013. Through the rights issue, which involves the issuance of 10 percent of new shares, Garuda aims to reap USD $200 million. Garuda was a fully state-owned company before its initial public offering (IPO) in early 2011 when it released 30 percent of its shares. However, Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) had approved total public offering up to 40 percent. The remaining 10 percent is now offered through the rights issuance.
Negative market sentiments, especially originating from within Indonesia, made investors shy away from Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) on Monday (10/06). Similar to last Friday, when the index fell 2.70 percent, foreign investors continued to sell large proportions of their Indonesian stock portfolios. The index lost 1.81 percent today as investors are concerned about the current state of Indonesia's economy. Other major indices of Asia were mixed but with a strengthening tendency, despite weak data from China.
The slowing pace of investments has made the Indonesian government decide to revise down its forecast for economic growth in the second quarter of 2013. Minister of Finance, M. Chatib Basri, believes that GDP growth will not exceed the six percent threshold in Q2-2013. He explained that there are a number of factors that refrain the government from setting a higher growth assumption. These factors include ailing exports, non-optimal government spending, and diminishing gross fixed capital investment.
State-owned cement producer Semen Baturaja invites investors to its initial public offering (IPO) between 29 May and 7 June 2013 at the Ritz Carlton Pacific Place in Jakarta. Through this IPO, the company offers 2.34 billion shares (about 23.76 percent of its stock equity) to the public with an initial price target of IDR 500 - 685 per share (USD $0.05 - $0.07). Semen Baturaja will be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) on 28 June 2013. The lead underwriters for this IPO are Bahana Securities, Danareksa Securities and Mandiri Securities.
The government of Indonesia plans to issue global sukuk (the Islamic equivalent of bonds) and retail bonds (Obligasi Ritel Indonesia, abbreviated ORI) in October 2013. Proceeds from the bond issuances will be used to finance the budget deficit, which is targeted at 2.48 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2013 Revised State Budget (APBN-P). This percentage figure is equivalent to IDR 233.7 trillion (USD $23.82 billion), and represents a robust increase compared to the deficit in 2012 (at 1.77 percent of GDP).
