Indonesia Morning News For March 16

Indonesia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Indonesia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities.

Challenges Ahead For Indonesia’s youth
Indonesia’s youth (pemuda) have always been valued as the vanguard of political change, taking a leading role in the independence revolution of the 1940s and in more recent regime changes in 1966 and 1998. With a half of Indonesia’s 240 million people aged under 30, Indonesia’s youth are the key to its future development.
— AEC News Today

Ongoing Uncertainty In Indonesia Weighs On Freeport’s Operations
Freeport-McMoRan’s ongoing standoff with the Indonesian government has adversely impacted its operations in Indonesia, with first quarter shipments expected to be lower than originally expected. Freeport reduced production levels by 60% in Indonesia towards the end of last month, as the company has been unable to export copper concentrate from the country since January, in the wake of changes to Indonesia’s mining regime.
— Forbes

Jokowi targets 6.1 economic growth in 2018
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed his Cabinet to reach 5.4 to 6.1 percent economic growth in 2018.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia bank loans rose 8.3 percent in Jan yr/yr
Loans by commercial banks in Indonesia expanded 8.3 percent on a yearly basis in January, accelerating from 7.9 percent growth in December, the financial regulator said on Wednesday.
— Reuters

Indonesia export, import growth slow down in February
Indonesia’s exports and imports expanded at a slower pace in February compared to a month earlier, as expected in a Reuters poll, data from the statistics bureau showed on Wednesday.
— CNBC

Import & Export: BPS Releases Indonesia’s February Trade Data
Indonesia Statistics (BPS) announced on Wednesday (15/03) that Indonesia’s exports and imports grew at a slower pace in February 2017 (compared to the preceding month). This performance was in line with expectations. While Indonesia’s exports grew 11.16 percent year-on-year (y/y) to USD $12.57 billion in February 2017, its imports grew 10.61 percent (y/y) to USD $11.26 billion over the same period.
— Indonesia Investments

AboitizPower explores Myanmar, Indonesia amid PH power oversupply
With the Philippines experiencing an oversupply in power generation that could last up to 7 years, Aboitiz Power Corporation has set its sights on hydropower projects in Myanmar and Indonesia to continue growing its business.
— Rappler

Indonesia central bank to stand pat, on guard over outflows
Indonesia’s central bank is widely expected to keep its policy interest rate unchanged on Thursday to support growth while it guards against rising inflation and capital outflow pressures.
— Reuters

Warburg dealmaker spots opportunities on Jakarta roadside
Warburg Pincus’s investment in the first billion-dollar Indonesian tech startup began with an American executive noticing green motorcycle helmets on the roads of Jakarta.
— Deal Street Asia

Singapore protests Indonesia’s move to detain its vessel, passengers
Singaporean government protested on Wednesday against Indonesia’s action to hold a vessel and detain passengers and crew within the city-state’s territory.
— The Jakarta Post

Roesmin Nurjadin Airbase to suspend F16s` operation
The Roesmin Nurjadin Airbase in Riau province will temporarily suspend the operation of F16 fighter jets from the Air Squadron 16 after one of them skidded off runway and overturned in the airbase on Tuesday.
— Antara News

Police to offer driving license extension service for free
Driving license extension application service will be offered free of charge for 200 lucky applicants, as part of the celebration of the 37th anniversary of an organization set up by the wives of Jakarta Police officers.
— The Jakarta Post

China boost scholarships for Indonesians
The Chinese government will continue to increase the number of state-funded scholarships for Indonesians pursuing higher education in China, as the Asian giant seeks to strengthen ties and people-to-people relations with the archipelagic nation.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia Tobacco Bill Would Fire up Output Despite Health Fears
Indonesia’s parliament has proposed a draft law that could lead to a sharp increase in tobacco output in a country that is already a top producer with one of the heaviest rates of smoking in the world.
— The Jakarta Post

World zakat confab formulates ways to alleviate poverty
The conference of the World Zakat Forum (WZF) held in Jakarta from March 14 to 16 discusses ways to alleviate poverty as the vast majority of people in predominantly Muslim countries still live in poverty, its secretary general said.
— Antara News

Indonesian minister, Indian VP discuss cyber security
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Wiranto specifically addressed cyber security issues with the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, in India on Tuesday (March 14).
— Antara News

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta voted ‘the world’s most improved airport’ in new Skytrax survey
Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is obviously not the best airport in the world (that honor usually falls to Singapore’s Changi), but it has undoubtedly made a lot of progress in terms of improving its facilities lately.
— Coconuts Jakarta

Ride sharing fares to increase starting April 1 as gov’t enforces regulations to level playing field with regular taxis
Soon, your Uber/Grab/Go-Car ride may cost around the same as it would with a regular taxi.
— Coconuts Jakarta

Muslim Indonesia joins global craft beer revolution
Defying an escalating anti-alcohol movement and conservative bureaucrats in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia’s only craft brewer is tapping into demand for better quality booze among the country’s small number of drinkers.
— Today Online

New ro-ro route expected to boost Indonesia, Philippines trade
The opening of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung route for roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessels is expected to boost trade between Indonesia and the Philippines in the long run.
— The Jakarta Post

Plenty of room to expand Indonesia-US trade: US Embassy
Despite rising concerns that the United States will soon adopt protectionist economic policies, high-ranking US officials have said that there is still plenty of room to expand bilateral trade between Indonesia and the US.
— The Jakarta Post

Feature photo Kritsada Jaiyen

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Indonesia morning news is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Indonesia Morning News For March 16 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on March 16, 2017
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.