We’ve been talking about gasification of coal for nearly two decades now. Tens of companies have also announced plans to process coal into synthetic gas, which will then be processed further into dimethyl ether (DME, as substitute for liquefied petroleum gas/LPG) and chemicals (including olefins and polyolefins).

The government expects Omnibus Law to boost the country’s investment climate. Given uncertainties in the process and global economic slowdown, the country expects positive review from global investors from its improved infrastructure because more new toll roads will enter commercial operation this year.

Compared to the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, economic implications of Coronavirus outbreak this time around to Indonesia will be substantially bigger. We identified at least three major implications, which could cost Indonesian economy dearly, especially in the first quarter of the year.

Just days after Prabowo Subianto, minister of defense, expressed his interest in buying Scorpene submarines from French, president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo took Prabowo and other cabinet members to PT PAL Indonesia to witness completion of construction for submarine named Alugoro-45, a joint project with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), on Monday (Jan 27).

Indonesia missed its target to welcome 20 million foreign tourists last year. Still, the country managed to double the visits in five years time (from around 8 million in 2014). Indonesia can double the visits to over 30 million in the next five years with proper and faster development of public infrastructure.

High-ranking government officers, including cabinet members, have been given Toyota Crown 25 HV G-Executive, PHEV model from Toyota, which has long dominated the automotive market. Some question why the government didn’t use full battery electric vehicle (BEV) if President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is indeed committed to the development of EV market.

One pharmaceutical company has completed acquisition of one of the oldest herbal player in the country. Another investor, meanwhile, acquires shares in a company engaged in skin care clinics.

Indonesia recorded trade deficit of US$3.2 billion last year, dropped by 63% from 2018, mainly because of lower deficit in oil and gas, and 54% growth in non oil and gas surplus. Not bad. Import of oil and gas fell 26.7%, attributable to lower average prices and volume. Deficit in refined products fell 33% to US$11.74 billion, thanks to substantial decline in import volume.

Some of Indonesian startups are set to take in more money from global investors as more private equity firms have raised funds in recent months. But, out of thousands of startups, how many would survive and becoming new unicorns, time will tell.