Retail News CRM

Tag: Indonesia

  • Bata Indonesia sales stagnate

    Bata Indonesia sales stagnate

    Bata Indonesia says it has missed meeting its sales targets despite the nation’s improving retail sales.

    Sepatu Bata, the local arm of the European shoe giant, owns and operates stores across Indonesia and manufactures sandals and shoes under brands Northstar, Power, Bubblegummers, Marie Claire and Weinbrenner.

    The company reported sales of Rp 1 trillion in 2015, 10 per cent short of the Rp 1.1 trillion target it set when it announced expansion into the middle and upper income market segments.

    However the company still posted a profit of Rp 129 billion (US$9.7 million), up 81 per cent, on the back of an unspecified one-off asset sale which raised Rp 121 billion.

    Bata Sepatu’s cost of goods rose 19 per cent and overheads by 8 per cent.

  • Spotify Launched in Indonesia

    Spotify Launched in Indonesia

    Spotify is finally kicking back into expansion mode in Asia. Nearly two years after its last country launch in the region and close to four years after it first stepped into Asia, the music streaming service has confirmed plans to go live in Indonesia at the end of March.

    Indonesia could have serious potential for Spotify. The fourth most populous country on the planet, Indonesian smartphone sales are projected to grow by 20 percent this year as its population of 250 million becomes increasingly more affluent and connected to technology.

    Last October, we reported that Spotify was close to launch in Indonesia and Japan, too, and the company has been quietly upping its efforts in Tokyo, where it established an office some time ago. In one sign of its imminent arrival, Spotify inked a partnership with Japan’s top messaging app Line which, similar to its agreement with Facebook, lets users share Spotify tracks through the Line app.

    Beyond that deal, which is only available in markets where Spotify has launched (i.e. not Japan right now), and in another big hint at an impending launch, Spotify is currently hiring for 12 roles in Japan — including telling positions like head of consumer marketing, head of communications, social media marketing manager — while its central team tasked with market expansions has made trips to the Tokyo office.

    TechCrunch understands that, as was the case in October, the challenging landscape for music streaming services in Japan — where CDs still rule for music sales — has delayed Spotify’s Japan launch longer than the company would have liked. Already, though, Apple Music and a competing music service from Line (both a friend and rival, it seems) are among the services available in the country. Thus Spotify wants to act quickly and join them.

    Spotify declined to comment on its launch plans in Asia, Indonesia aside, when we asked. But we have come to learn from a source close to the company that it has begun to look at India.

    That interest is exploratory at this point, but Spotify would enter a challenging race were it to bring its service to India. Apple entered the country last summer when Apple Music launched globally, but local services like Tiger Global-backed Saavn and Times Internet’s Gaana lead the mobile music space. We haven’t heard much about how Apple Music is faring in India, but Spotify could be a better fit for the country since it offers a free version of its service and has a more robust Android app — both of which are essential in India.

    Asia marks a potentially important focus for Spotify, which recently hit the 30 million paying user milestone. Large swathes of the region are mobile-first or mobile-only, with many consumers reliant on their phone to provide all of their entertainment options. That opens an obvious window for mobile music services, but monetization is a huge challenge since Asia is less developed when it comes to paying for digital content and piracy reigns supreme.

    Spotify’s initial foray into Asia saw it land in small and fairly Western-influenced countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, markets where it was likely to see uptake, but now the Swedish company appears to have its sights set on larger challenges, starting with Indonesia.

  • Garuda Indonesia, Switzerland strengthen cooperation on airplane maintenance

    Garuda Indonesia, Switzerland strengthen cooperation on airplane maintenance

    The Indonesian flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, and the Government of Switzerland will strengthen cooperation in the field of aircraft maintenance through a subsidiary of Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF).

    Director of Engineering and Information Technology of Garuda Indonesia, Iwan Joeniarto, said here on Friday (April 1) that the cooperation has been established in the form of arrangements for exchange of knowledge about aircraft maintenance, aircraft mechanic training and provision of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) equipment.

    In the initial phase, the cooperation arrangement will be for five years for Boeing 737 New Generation.

    “Later, we will develop this arrangement further,” he said.

    According to Iwan, the Swiss authority is interested in cooperating with the GMF because the company is very competitive and has qualified human resources.

    “We have lands that are widespread, although we still lack in infrastructure,” he said.

    The Vice President of Switzerland, Doris Leuthard, appreciated the facilities owned by Garuda Indonesia Group and hoped that the existing cooperation could be improved and continued in the future.

    “The meeting today has provided us with new insights regarding a very positive synergy between Garuda and GMF as a subsidiary,” he said.

    Vice President Leuthard assessed that Garuda and GMF together form for a great potential in Indonesia in the face of the competition in the aviation world globally.

    The official working visit of the Swiss Vice President, who is also the Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), is part of a series of diplomatic visits to Indonesia.

    The Director of GMF, Juliandra Nurtjahjo, said the visit of the Vice President of Switzerland was an excellent opportunity and valuable for GMF. Also, it was in line with the companys target to be among the top 10 MROs in the world by 2020.

    “This is a very good opportunity for GMF because we can introduce our facilities and explore other areas for potential cooperation,” he said.

    Juliandra remarked that the MRO market is currently growing, including in Indonesia. There are at least 700 aircrafts that require MRO services with a market value of approximately US$ 900 million. So far, the GMF has been able to claim only about 30 percent of the market opportunity.

    Leuthard also met the Indonesian Minister of Transport, Ignasius Jonan, on Thursday (March 31).

    Both the officials renewed an agreement between Indonesian government and the Swiss Federal Council related to Scheduled Air Services in Jakarta.

    The renewal agreement aims to accommodate a wider mutual interest in the Air Service Agreement (ASA).

    The minister said although currently no Indonesian airlines flies to Switzerland, the agreement is the first step to open up opportunities in the future for Indonesian airlines to serve flights to the country.

    Lees ook:

  • Malang city expected to go intl through digital technology development

    Malang city expected to go intl through digital technology development

    The Minister of Trade, Thomas Lembong, expects Malang to go global, thanks to its digital technology-based development, and by introducing the world to its potential, especially in creative products.

    “Malang must go global. I believe Malang and its people can go global in the digital age through internet and social media,” Lembong said here on Friday (April 1).

    He added that the potential that Malang city offers, particularly in culture, creativity and innovation, should be introduced to the world through digital technology.

    Moreover, the community of Malang City is a creative community, he said.

    “Malang has creative people with modern ways of thinking. I wonder if the creative industries are well developed here?” Lembong said.

    According to the minister, the use of digital technology in everyday life in Malang can act as a strong resource to face regional and international economic competition.

    A life style based on digital technology is key to development in the 21st century when competition is more about human resources.

    “Any modern city should attract innovation and be inspirational. I can see that Malang will be very good in these aspects,” he said.

    In accordance with the governments program of Nawacita (the nine goals), it will build or revitalize 5,000 traditional markets by 2019.

    The Ministry of Trade prioritizes the development of local markets which are older than 25 years, and those which were destroyed by fire, natural disasters and post-conflict.

    In addition, the markets which are located in disadvantaged areas and border areas that lack trading facilities, or those with a huge trade potential, will also be developed.

    Since 2011-2016, the Ministry of Trade has revitalized or built 43 markets in East Java province with a budget of Rp250 billion.

    Lees ook:

  • Pertamina cooperates with state firms to develop solar power stations

    Pertamina cooperates with state firms to develop solar power stations

    State oil and gas company PT Pertamina is teaming up with three other state firms in developing solar power generating stations (PLTS), a Pertamina spokesperson said.

    The development of new and renewable energy projects will use the idle land owned by Pertamina and the other state firms, Pertamina Vice President for Corporate Communication Wianda Pusponegoro said here Friday.

    The three state firms are PT LEN Industri, PT Energi Management Indonesia and PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur.

    The cooperation between Pertamina and the firms is relevant to the governments target of developing 35 gigawatt capacity power plants by 2019.

    Hopefully, 25 percent or 8.8 gigawatts of the electrical power will come from renewable energy sources, he said.

    The government has set itself the target of developing power plants with an installed capacity of 5 gigawatts or 5,000 megawatts by 2020. Pertamina has committed itself to building solar power stations with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

    “The synergy among the state owned companies can hopefully encourage the realization of new and renewable energy projects in Indonesia, which will be started in North Sumatra with a target of up to 60 megawatts in 2017. The projects will be continued in the next three years to reach the target of 200 megawatts by using the idle land owned by Pertamina in several parts of Indonesia,” he said.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Access to credit card transactions needed to check taxpayers` profiles

    Access to credit card transactions needed to check taxpayers` profiles

    Regulations are required to access taxpayers credit card transactions data, particularly of individual tax payers (WP OP), without violating banking laws, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said.

    “We need the data for WP OP profiles because we cannot access their bank accounts as the banking law prohibits that. Therefore, we want access to their credit card transactions in order to check their tax profiles,” said Bambang here on Friday.

    Bambang said that if a taxpayer reported his or her monthly income at Rp5 million but his/her expenditure through credit cards reached Rp20 million per month, the tax officials will know that he or she has made an incorrect annual tax report (SPT).

    “This means that while he/she has claimed to have a monthly income of Rp5 million through the SPT, but his/her tax liability should be corrected. We will compare his or her transactions undertaken though credit cards with his or her annual tax report and see if these match,” the minister said.

    Bambang said the plan to put in place a regulation to access credit card transaction reports was discussed long back with the Financial Service Authority (OJK). The OJK will popularize it among banks and credit card issuers.

    Indonesian central bank (BI) Deputy Governor Ronald Waas said bringing in regulations to access credit card transactions will be problematic since the law on banks does not allow access to this information.

    “We can look at the banks confidentiality regulations to see if the credit card detail or information about savings has to be kept confidential. But all laws which regulate the confidentiality of data allow access to the same if it concerns national interest, but with the approval of the OJK,” the finance minister remarked.

    The Finance Ministry has issued a regulation which requires 22 banks and credit issuer institutions to report credit card data and transactions to the Directorate General of Taxations.

    The matter was regulated vide the Finance Ministers Decree No. 39/PMP.03/2016 on the Type of Data and Information as well as the Report Procedure of Data and Information which concerns taxation. It came into effect on the day of its enactment on March 22, 2016.

  • Swiss-Belhotel International extends Indonesian footprint with opening of Swiss-Belhotel Jambi

    Swiss-Belhotel International extends Indonesian footprint with opening of Swiss-Belhotel Jambi

    Swiss-Belhotel International continues its growth in all segments of the Indonesian hospitality industry with the opening of the four-star Swiss-Belhotel Jambi, Central Sumatra.

    The hotel is the first international property in Jambi with an impressive grand ballroom with seven-metre high ceilings, capable of hosting over 1,200 guests.

    The opening ceremony was led by the Mayor of Jambi, H. Syarif Fasha, ME who was accompanied by PT Selaras Jaya Indah Hotelindo President Commissioner Bapak Begawan Kamto, Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman and President Mr. Gavin M. Faull and Senior Vice President of Operations and Development Mr. Emmanuel Guillard.

    Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman and President Mr. Gavin Faull said: “Swiss-Belhotel International is delighted to welcome Swiss-Belhotel Jambi to our global portfolio of hotels and further strengthen our business in Sumatra.”

    Swiss-Belhotel Jambi offers 136 rooms with a minimum size of 31 square metres.

    “The property is ideally located in the business district and caters ideally to the local business community as well as leisure travellers who can now enjoy international standards of hospitality and service in the city.”

    As well as offering extensive function space, Swiss-Belhotel Jambi, boasts the largest lobby in town, extensive parking, rooms starting at a minimum size of 31 square metres and exceptional dining experiences highlighted by The View Café and signature rooftop outlet, Resto.

    The 136-room Swiss-Belhotel Jambi offers international standard amenities and facilities including individual air-conditioning units, in-room refrigerators, an IDD/NDD telephone system, laptop size in-room safety deposit box, tea and coffee making facilities, wifi internet access, in-room dining, five meeting rooms and ballroom, swimming pool, gym and business centre.

    Strategically located in the central business district, the hotel provides convenient access to a variety of local attractions, shopping malls and culinary options, making it an ideal choice for business or leisure travellers to Jambi.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Story-i to supply Indonesia schools

    Story-i to supply Indonesia schools

    Story-i will supply new Apple devices bundled with customised applications across Perkumpulan Sekolah Kristen Djakarta’s (PSKD) 16 schools in Indonesia.

    The contract extends to annual hosting and software maintenance fees, and service and maintenance of PSKD’s network infrastructure, potentially delivering $500,000 in sales.

    The rollout of devices, bundled education software and hosting services under the contract with BPK Penabur continues to progress on schedule.

  • Indonesia Best eMark Award 2015 goes for Hypermart

    Indonesia Best eMark Award 2015 goes for Hypermart

    SWA-Business Digest Magazine and Telkom University hold the Indonesia Best eMark Award 2015 to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of Telkom University on September 10, 2015. During the ceremony, Hypermart as the core modern retail business of PT Matahari Putra Prima Tbk, received the prestigious award at the main event of “Bandung ICT Expo 2015” which was awarded by the Rector of Telkom University, Prof. Mohamad Ashari in Telkom University Campus.

    Director of Communications and Public Relations MPPA, Danny Kojongian stated “We are honored to receive this prestigious award from SWA Magazine and Telkom University, which show positive feedback from our valued customers toward our Hypermart’s services and operation, related in particular to the appropriate utilization of information technology toward our marketing and sales activities.”

    “This Award not only reflects an important milestone for MPPA, but more importantly confirms that our modern retail business strategy has been performing in the right direction and received splendid recognition from customers and other industry practitioners. Going forward, we will ensure that our service quality will be enhanced and strengthened to give the best practices of world-class standards to the growing markets and consumers in Indonesia,” he continued.

    Indonesia Best eMarK Award 2015 was awarded to Hypermart since it successfully managed to become one of the companies with improved business performance from the management and utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) in a right, smart and efficient way in the marketing and sales fields.

    Hypermart is expected to become an inspired role model for other companies in using the application and utilization of ICT systems in the marketing and sales area which are getting better over the time.

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesia’s ‘king of feature phones’ wants to copy AirAsia to beat Samsung

    Indonesia’s ‘king of feature phones’ wants to copy AirAsia to beat Samsung

    These are exciting times in Indonesia’s handset market. As smartphone prices drop and interest in entry-level devices surges, there’s a window of opportunity for local brands to carve out their spot in a market dominated by Samsung.

    The incentive to participate in this race is high. Data from market research group Counterpoint shows the smartphone segment is currently growing at 30 percent annually, while overall phone unit shipments remain steady. It means that Indonesians are now willing to spend on replacing their feature phones with smartphones, and are doing so in droves. Smartphone shipments reached 9 million units in Q2 2015, the study found.

    A growing long tail of local and foreign brands is competing for first-time smartphone buyers, and the figures show that local brand Evercoss is in a strong position.

    In Q2 2015, for the first time, Evercoss overtook Samsung in overall handset shipments – which includes feature phones and smartphones. The two brands have been in a fairly close race in the past three quarters. However, last quarter’s win for Evercoss can be in part attributed to Samsung’s significant losses.

    The bulk of Evercoss’s overall market share is carried by feature phones. Looking only at smartphones over that same period of time, Samsung’s market share is still dominant. But Evercoss is slowly closing the gap, with a little over 1 percent growth for its smartphone shipments in the previous quarter as Samsung continues to drop.

    Local brands in the smartphone era

    This is an interesting development to follow. If Evercoss continues to nibble away at Samsung’s spot in the smartphone segment, it would prove that local brands can take their feature phone buyers by the hand and lead them into the smartphone era without switching brands.

    ‘Graduating’ to an entry-level Samsung from their local brand may have been the obvious choice for Indonesians until recently, but it’s not as simple as that anymore. A multitude of devices are vying for buyers’ attention. Since there is less room to stand out in terms of hardware and design – many lower-end smartphones are manufactured in the same Chinese facilities anyway – standing out is now a matter of highlighting the right details.

    Evercoss CMO Ricky Tanudibrata is well aware of this. He’s directing the move to turn his brand from a commodity into an affordable yet aspirational product. In Ricky’s words, Evercoss wants to shed the image of being the “king of feature phones” to become the “AirAsia of smartphones.” AirAsia is his role model because the low-cost airline was able to make flying an option for a larger segment of people, and is perceived as the reliable option among its low-cost competitors.

    Evercoss’s strategy, Ricky tells he has been to stay true to the lower-end price segment, and to collaborate with globally recognized brands to increase its own appeal. It was one of the partners for Google’s Android One release in Indonesia. (Other local brands selling Android One versions were Mito and Nexian). Evercoss also recently cozied up with browser-maker Opera in a co-branding campaign.

    So far, the strong brand recognition – due to Evercoss’s ‘king of feature phones’ status – paired with a more global positioning seems to have done decently in terms of smartphone sales. Decently, but not great.

    Take another look at the Counterpoint chart: next to Evercoss, local brands Advan and Smartfren as well as Taiwanese Asus deserve mention; all three have shown strong performance in smartphone shipments last quarter. Advan has been consistently strong with a broad range of smartphones reaching from the low end into the middle segment. Smartfren stands out with its recent Cyanogen-based Andromax Q series. Asus in particular had a successful run with the introduction of its Zenfone series at the beginning of the year and shot from nothing to 8 percent market share – which is much more impressive growth than Evercoss can boast.

    To be a Samsung killer, Evercoss needs to innovate

    Clearly, Evercoss’s status as most likely contestant to be a Samsung-killer in Indonesia is not set in stone. Ranks fluctuate, often tied to the release of new models. What we see is a game of mimicry and differentiation in a dynamic market. Evercoss’s next move, according to Ricky, is a partnership with Intel in its soon-to-be launched new line of phones and tablets. The popular Zenfone uses the same chipset.

    Following releases such as Smartfren’s affordable IDR 1,3 million (US$81) Andromax Q, which supports 4G LTE, Evercoss badly needs to launch its own 4G smartphone in the low-price segment. Ricky says the launch of such a device is in fact imminent and even showed us a prototype, without going into the specs.

    A major event in the mobile market last quarter was the passing into law of a much-talked about draft regulation: the ‘local content’ rule. In an attempt to limit the import of shelf-ready devices from China and elsewhere, the Indonesian government wants 4G LTE devices sold in Indonesia to be locally produced to a certain extent. The agreed figure is 30 percent by the beginning of 2017.How local brands are coping with the ‘local content’ law
    Compliance will be a challenge for foreign brands who don’t have any production facilities in Indonesia (Samsung proved its commitment by investing in factories). But it’s also a challenge for brands like Evercoss, who don’t make it a secret that a significant share of their manufacturing process takes place in China.

    “Obviously we think about this,” Ricky says. But he also doesn’t seem stressed out about it. “So far, it has not been finally decided how that 30 percent will be calculated.” What’s known is that ‘local content’ is going to include a range of factors, including investment, software, and labor, not just the hardware components. Ricky seems confident that Evercoss will be able to meet the standards when the time comes.

    The upcoming release and subsequent adoption of Evercoss’s Intel-powered new generation of phones and tablets is definitely something to watch. If Evercoss’s strategy to continue to upsell new devices to their existing customer base works out, and if the ‘local content’ law keeps out some newcomer brands from abroad who find it too difficult to comply, we may have ourselves a Samsung killer.

    Lees ook:

  • Jakarta hits airlines with restrictions

    Jakarta hits airlines with restrictions

    Indonesia has banned Thai-registered airlines from increasing their flights or changing the types of aircraft that fly into the country, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said Monday.

    The Transport Ministry received the notification from its Indonesian counterpart on June 16, ACM Prajin said.

    ACM Prajin said the measures will not impede Thai Airways International(THAI) as the Thai-flagged carrier has no plans to increase flights toIndonesia.

    THAI currently operates seven flights out of Suvarnabhumi airport to Baliper week and 10 flights out of the airport to Jakarta per week.

    The Indonesian Transport Ministry said it would also ask to check airlines’ operation certifications for chartered flights to see if they are in line with required standards, ACM Prajin said.

    The minister said no Thai carrier currently operates chartered flights toIndonesia.

    He said the move by Indonesia came after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which on June 18 red-flaggedThailand over its failure to fix shortcomings in the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

    The shortcomings identified by the ICAO centred on failures to meet aviation safety standards in regards to regulating aviation businesses and granting air operator certificates.

    The safety concerns showed a lack of sufficient oversight to ensure implementation of ICAO standards, the organisation said after its audit.

    ACM Prajin said the Indonesian authorities will conduct frequent checks on Thai-registered airlines, but this should not be a cause for concern as the measure is also applied to flights to Japan.

    DCA director-general Parichart Khotcharat yesterday said Indonesia’srestrictions started on May 29, but it took time for the notification to be relayed from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Transport Ministry.

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesia grants visa free entry to Sri Lankans

    Indonesia grants visa free entry to Sri Lankans

    Indonesia has granted visa-free facility to 169 countries including Sri Lanka under a new visa regulation. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has signed Presidential Regulation concerning Visit Visa Exemption early last month adding 79 countries to the list.

    Indonesian immigration office said passport holders of these countries are exempt for having a visa to enter Indonesia.

    “The visa exemption is valid only for 30 days, non-extendable or convertible into another kind of stay permit,” immigration office said.

    “Foreigners from 169 countries can enter and exit Indonesian Territory through 124 Immigration Checkpoints in airports, seaports and land border.”

    The visa exemption facility can be used for tourism, family visit, social visit, art and cultural, government duty, to deliver a speech or attend a seminar, international exhibition, meetings with head office or representative office in Indonesia, or transit.

    If the 30 days of Visit Visa Exemption facility feels insufficient, visitor still can apply for Visa on Arrival (given for 30 days and extendable for another 30 days) or Visit Visa.

    The 169 countries, special administrative regions of a country, and entities are:

    Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See (Vatican City), Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (SAR of China), Macedonia, Madagascar, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

    Lees ook:

  • Bribery probe hammers shares of Indonesian property firm Agung Podomoro

    Bribery probe hammers shares of Indonesian property firm Agung Podomoro

    Shares in property developer PT Agung Podomoro Land Tbk plunged 10 percent on Monday, after Indonesia’s anti-graft agency launched an investigation that raised concerns that a multi-billion-dollar project could be delayed.

    Ariesman Widjaja, the firm’s chief executive officer, is suspected of bribing a member of the Jakarta provincial assembly to influence the regulation for a land reclamation, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said in a statement dated Friday.

    The anti-graft agency said it had caught the Jakarta official receiving 1.14 billion rupiah ($86,725) in cash from an Agung Podomoro employee at a shopping mall a day earlier.

    Agung Podomoro has plans for a project called Pluit City, which is estimated to be worth billion of dollars, on the northern coast of the Indonesian capital.

    The firm issued a statement late on Friday acknowledging that KPK had named Widjaja as a suspect, but gave no other details. The company’s directors and legal team are studying the case and are committed to obey the law, it added.

    Widjaja could not be reached for comment.

    Agung Podomoro Director Cesar M. Dela Cruz declined to comment.

    Agung Podomoro shares plunged as much as 10 percent after the market opened on Monday, hitting their lowest in more than four months. The broader Jakarta stock exchange was up 0.1 percent.

    With Agung Podomoro “on the hot seat”, the company’s mega project may be delayed indefinitely, broker Trimegah Securities said.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesian government sets rice export target for 10 countries

    Indonesian government sets rice export target for 10 countries

    The Indonesian government has set itself the target of exporting 100 thousand tons of rice to 10 Asian and European countries as part of efforts to increase farm commodity exports this year, an official said.

    The Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities of the Agriculture Ministry, Sumarjo Gatot Irianto, said that the 10 destinations to which Indonesian rice would be exported include Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.

    “We plan to export organic rice to Germany,” he said.

    Therefore, the government will make every effort to procure as much rice as possible this year to meet the demand for rice, he said.

    “We have not set any target for procuring rice. What is important is that we must be able to procure as much rice as possible so that we can export the surplus,” he said.

    Above all, the national logistics board (Bulog) must be able to control rice prices at the farmer level by procuring the staple food. This will enable the government-set purchase prices to kick in, he said.

    “If the price of unhusked rice at the farmer level falls, the government will be obliged to buy the rice soon to maintain the rice prices,” he said.

    Lees ook:

  • Coca-Cola Amatil plans to add two new production lines at its Indonesian facility

    Coca-Cola Amatil plans to add two new production lines at its Indonesian facility

    Coca-Cola Amatil is planning to deploy two new production lines at its Cikekodan Plant in Bekasi, West Java in Indonesia. The expansion of the Cikekodan plant marks the first of the major investments being made by the company in Indonesia.

    Coca-Cola plans to invest around $500m in the country to accelerate growth in the next three to four years.

    Coca-Cola is also planning to invest $63m in the construction of a new distribution center in Surabaya, Indonesia, making it the fourth mega distribution center operated by the subsidiary of Australian-based Coca-Cola Amatil.

    Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent said: “We consider Indonesia a dynamic and promising market and one of the growth engines to achieve our long-term vision.

    “Our company’s US $500 million investment reaffirms our belief in Indonesia and will help us capture the growth opportunity in one of the largest and most dynamic countries in the world as we enable our system to be even more responsive to consumer and customer needs.

    “We believe by creating more jobs and where possible sourcing locally, we can promote the local economy and contribute to economic growth in Indonesia.”

    This latest investment is expected to have give a huge boost to local jobs, taking the Coca-Cola’s total direct and indirect employment in Indonesia from around 60,000 to a total of 135,000 within a span of three to four years.

    However, the investment is yet to receive Indonesian regulatory approval and also subject to CCA non-associated shareholder approval.

    In last October, Coca-Cola announced plans to set up a joint venture with Coca-Cola Amatil’s local Indonesia subsidiary to invest $500m for an equity ownership interest of 29.4%.

    The funding was invested into Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (CCAI) operations in Indonesia to expand production, warehousing and cold-drink infrastructure.

    In the past three years, CCAI has commissioned 18 new production lines, installed 150,000 coolers and built three distribution centers to increase production capacity and build local capability with total investments of more than $300m.

    CCA group chairman David Gonski said: “These two new production lines commissioned today are an excellent example of how the US $500 million cash injection is being invested. Coca-Cola Amatil is committed to building a future hand-in-hand with our partners, customers and consumers in Indonesia.

    “The upcoming joint venture is an important step for us in accelerating our efforts to create a strong future for our communities and businesses in the areas in which we operate.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: