Category: Industries

President Joko Widodo inspected construction of Semarang-Demak (26.7 KM) toll road on Friday (June 11). The toll road, built with public private partnership (PPP) scheme, is the first in Indonesia to act as a seawall along the coastline, a buffer against flooding that normally hits the area. PT Pembangunan Perumahan Semarang Demak, a subsidiary of state EPC firm PTPP, is main investor of the toll road.

Improved connectivity in the Greater Jakarta has lifted prospects of new township projects in the south such as Cibubur, Cimanggis (Agung Podomoro Land), Sentul (Ciputra Development), Ciawi (Summarecon), and Lido (MNC Land). Prospects of other property development projects in satellite cities located in Banten and West Java provinces will also improve with significant progress in the second Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR-2). 

North Maluku has transformed itself from a poor province to become one of the world’s largest nickel production centers. The province increasingly plays an important role in the electric vehicle and stainless steel ecosystem with commercial operation of new smelters producing nickel sulphates and nickel pig iron (NPI)/ferronickel.

Minister of investment Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed US$1.2 billion battery cell investment by South Korea-Indonesia consortium in Sinarmas Group’s Deltamas City, Bekasi, West Java. It is closer to Hyundai’s project in the same location, which will be the first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Indonesia. 

Indonesia recorded trade surplus of US$2.19 billion last month, lifting the surplus to US$7.7 billion in the first four months of 2021. Higher volume and average price of commodities and processed metals contributed to strong export growth in the period. Iron and steel continues to report impressive growth, resulting in total export of US$5.3 billion in the first four months of 2021.

So, some states in India have reportedly returned to Ivermectin to help manage their Covid-19 outbreaks even as experts and international institutions, including US FDA and World Health Organization (WHO), warn against doing so. In Indonesia, ministry of health (MOH) yet to recommend the drug, but some high-ranking officials are actively campaigning it. 

Physical construction progress of some mass transportation and toll road projects suggests an improved outlook of the country’s connectivity whilst land acquisition issues here and there. The country is set to accelerate post-pandemic with completion of some projects next year.

Three months after witnessing FrieslandCampina kicking off construction of US$268 million factory in Karawang, West Java province, we will likely see construction start of Nestle’s US$220 million expansion this week. Nestle, one of the world’s giants in food & beverage industry, plans to kick off construction of new factory over a 20-hectare land in Batang Regency, Central Java. 

Indonesia increasingly becomes a dominant player in nickel industry with nickel pig iron (NPI) output reportedly jumped by 80% year-on-year in the first quarter while China’s NPI output declined by 20% in the same period. Other than nickel, Indonesia’s output of tins and alumina are also set to grow significantly this year whilst financial impact might only be seen next year. 

Foreign investors have poured more money in the country in recent months despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This can be seen in their procurement of industrial land in some areas, particularly in West and Central Java. Purchase Manager’s Index (PMI) for manufacturing industry also suggested further expansion last month.

Minister of State-owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir, as the main shareholder of the coal mining firm PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), appointed Suryo Eko Hadianto as the new CEO of PTBA. Eko replaces Arviyan Arifin as per the decision of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ((RUPST) of PTBA conducted on April 5. 

The Cengkareng-Batuceper-Kunciran section (14.19 KM) of the Jakarta Outer Ring Road-2 (JORR-2) will soon enter commercial operation as construction progress reached 94.08%. Ministry of public works and relevant authorities have started fit and proper test of the new toll road, which will ease off traffic congestion in the Greater Jakarta area.