President Jokowi kicks off Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in Jakarta
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo delivered an opening speech at the 2023 ASEAN Indonesia Chairmanship Kick-Off event on Sunday, organized by the Foreign Ministry and the Jakarta administration Government of DKI Jakarta at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. Jokowi expressed confidence…
S. Korea to Make Indonesia Production Base in ASEAN with IK-CEPA
JAKARTA – South Korea intends to make Indonesia a production base in ASEAN, now that both countries are eliminating most of their tariffs, including on auto parts and steel, according to its government official on Thursday. The Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA) came into force…
Indonesia Seeks to Boost Bilateral Trade with Saudi Arabia
JAKARTA – Indonesia aims to reduce the deficit in bilateral trade with Saudi Arabia, which became its major trade partner last year, amid huge reliance on oil imports from the Kingdom, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said on Sunday. The bilateral trade volume was valued at around…
Bali welcomes back first flight from China after Covid-19 rules ease
BADUNG – A total of 210 Chinese tourists getting on board a chartered plane arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Sunday. The Chinese nationals are allowed to travel abroad for the first time in almost…
Indonesia’s Bakrie Group seeks nickel mine, partners up for $9 bln EV project
JAKARTA – Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR.JK) is looking to acquire a nickel mine in the resource-rich island of Sulawesi to supply a planned integrated industrial park to produce electric vehicle batteries, an executive said on Friday. Also known as the Bakrie Group, which…
2023 state budget focused on employment, poverty alleviation: Jokowi
JAKARTA – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appealed to all ministerial ranks to channel the 2023 state budget into productive activities, especially pertaining to job creation. “The 2023 state budget must be focused on productive activities, especially in the context of job creation and poverty alleviation,”…
World Bank cuts 2023 world growth forecast in ‘sharp, long-lasting slowdown’
Washington – Global growth is slowing “perilously close” to recession, the World Bank said Tuesday, slashing its 2023 economic forecast on high inflation, rising interest rates and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Economists have warned of a slump in the world economy as countries battle soaring…
Comprehensive Job Creation Law to Come into Force in 3 Months: Airlangga
JAKARTA – The emergency regulation in lieu of the job creation law will come into force in three months at the latest after being enacted by the House of Representatives, Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said in an exclusive interview with BTV news channel aired…
IDX Composite ‘best-performing’ Southeast Asian index in 2022
JAKARTA – While the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) Composite, may have faced a couple of bumps in the road in 2022, it became the best-performing major index of the year in Southeast Asia as at Friday’s close, according to a high-ranking official at the Financial…
Digitalization of MSMEs in 2022 reaches annual target: Ministry
JAKARTA – The Ministry of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises announced that some 20.76 million MSMEs gained access to digital platforms by 2022, reaching 69.2 percent of the 30-million MSMEs’ onboarding target in 2024. Ministry’s Secretary Arif Rahman Hakim said that some 12.76 million…