Other Briefings
Beijing to Sydney by Train: The Potential Development of a Singapore, Indonesia & Australia Rail Network
The China-Singapore rail project has been getting a lot of attention over the past few years as these routes continue to develop. But why stop at Singapore? How about taking the train from Beijing to Sydney? In this article, Chris Devonshire-Ellis discusses the creation of such a rail route.
Indonesia to Change Luxury Goods Tax, Mulls Raising PIT-Exempt Threshold
Several items will soon be exempt from Indonesia’s luxury tax. The country is also considering raising the individual income tax-free allowance by 50%.
Indonesia-Singapore Bilateral Investment Guarantee Agreement to Expire
The bilateral agreement signed by Indonesia and Singapore in 2005 will not be renewed by Indonesia, and is set to expire on June 20, 2016. This bilateral agreement, commonly known as an investment guarantee agreement (IGA), grants protection to Singaporean investors.
Indonesia Extends Tax Holiday in Bid to Attract More Foreign Investment
Indonesia has announced plans to extend the validity of the country’s tax holiday from the current 10 years to a maximum of 15 years. The tax holiday applies to investments over IDR 1 trillion (US$76 million), labor-intensive investments, and investments into eastern Indonesia (an economically poorer region). Additionally, the tax holiday will be applied to investments into “pioneer” sectors.
Indonesia Gives Tax Breaks to Exporting Manufacturers
Indonesia has brought in tax breaks for enterprises exporting a minimum of 30 percent of their production, in line with tax breaks for multinationals re-investing profits in-country rather than sending profits and dividends to overseas shareholders.
Indonesia’s Economy Struggles to find its Footing
For the second quarter in a row, Indonesia’s economy contracted as exports and government spending continued to decline – GDP was down 0.18 percent. The country’s currency, the rupiah, also fell.
The Cost of Business in Indonesia Compared With China
The second part in our comprehensive look at how doing business in ASEAN compares with China, this time focusing on Indonesia.
USA, New Zealand to Take Indonesia to WTO on Import Restrictions
The US and New Zealand have asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a dispute settlement panel to examine Indonesia’s wide-ranging restrictions on horticulture and animal imports.
Indonesia Struggles to Strengthen Weakening Rupiah
Tuesday, March 17th, Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia, announced that it will hold the country’s key interest rate steady at 7.5 percent. The bank has chosen not to follow the recent regional trend of countries drastically cutting their borrowing costs. Markets have so far met the news positively and the rupiah has strengthened 0.6 percent to 13,165 against the dollar – the largest gain in eight weeks. Indonesia’s government has been struggling to strengthen a rapidly weakening rupiah, the country’s currency. The rupiah is Asia’s worse performing currency against the U.S. dollar this year.
Indonesia Online: A Guide to E-commerce
While currently, e-commerce only accounts for less than one percent (worth ~US$2 billion per year) of Indonesian retail spending, analysts believe that the country’s fast growing middle class and proliferation of smartphones will soon raise that share to eight percent (worth US$8 billion) in just a few years. If that scenario were to happen, then Indonesia’s e-commerce market would be the largest in Southeast Asia.
