Last Saturday we went to Situ Gunung tourism park, Sukabumi Regency, West Java, where the longest suspension bridge in Indonesia is located. Started out 5AM, we took four hours to arrive. Leaving Situ Gunung 2PM, even worse, six hours to arrive in Jakarta. Distance? 111 KM only! 

Agate International is a video game development company that was founded on April 1, 2009 by 18 people in Bandung, West Java province when they made a game for Microsoft’s Dream Build Play competition. 

The gaming industry has become a potential industry and has even become one of the world’s official sports known as e-sport. We wrote about the growth potential for the gaming industry two years ago (https://yosefardi.com/2019/04/a-gaming-potential ). By far, Indonesia is the largest game market in Southeast Asia and is ranked 16th in the world. People’s spending on games reached US$2 billion per year.

The Toll Road Authority (BPJT) at ministry of public works and housing is ready to offer eight new toll road projects to investors, including foreign investments. BPJT recorded Rp9.9 trillion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in toll roads last year, and expected to double to Rp20 trillion this year. 

We’ve seen faster economic growth of areas outside Java in the past few years, particularly related to mineral processing. Provinces like Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and North Maluku, have also grown as export bases. Still, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has briefed Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister for Investment, to also focusing on investment in areas outside Java island, to creating new growth center and new economic area.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has on Wednesday (June 22) inspected construction of Sepaku Semoi dam in Penajam Paser Utara regency, East Kalimantan province, which marked the official inception of the development of Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara. The dam, sitting over 378 hectares of land, is scheduled for completion early next year.

Diapers market leader PT Uni-Charm Indonesia Tbk (UCID) is among top losers in the past two years or so despite a relatively strong sales performance and bottom line. At the last quoted price (Rp1,190), UCID was worth Rp5 trillion only, on par its equity as March 31, 2022, way below its IPO price. 

Whoever becomes the next president, he or she can focus more in development of other important infrastructures because of more toll roads will be completed in the remaining two years of Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s presidency. Jokowi might add 5,000 km of toll roads within ten years against only 750 km when he entered the office eight years ago.

State telco operator Telkom Indonesia (TLKM) mulls to launch the initial public offering (IPO) for its subsidiaries, including PT Sigma Tata Sedaya which will be changed name into PT Telkom Data Center (TDC). Telkom also has an option to launch private placement or offering new shares to strategic investor.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo inaugurated construction start of LG Energy Solution’s second EV battery plant in Batang Regency, Central Java province last Thursday (June 9). This is LG Energy Solution’s second EV battery project in Indonesia after commencing the first US$1.1 billion factory last September in Karawang, West Java.