Airport services company PT Cardig Aero Services Tbk (CASS) is a small company with market capitalization of Rp1.3 trillion only. The group, however, is poised to grow further with its decision to become airport operator. Final decision yet to be formally announced by the government, but signals have been sent out recently.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is scheduled to inaugurate the Palapa Ring, the largest publlic-private partnership Internet connectivity project in the country, this afternoon. Palapa Ring develops fiber optic network covering 34 provinces and 440 regencies/mayoralties through 35,280 KM of undersea cable and 21,807 KM of land cables.

The government, through state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), has recently made payment of Rp1.4 trillion for works committed by state EPC firm Adhi Karya (ADHI) in the Greater Jakarta light-rail transit (LRT) for the period of October 2018 to March 2019. That means the government has made a total payment of Rp8.3 trillion for the project.

President Joko Widodo must be very upset with downfall of Indonesia’s competitiveness ranking this year just ahead of inauguration for a second term. Still, some global and domestic investors continue their expansion, mostly to tap the growing household consumption and incentives in processing of natural resources.

Development of Nongsa Digital Park in Batam Island was another topic of discussion in recent meeting of President Joko Widodo and Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong. The park is set to become center for creative industry players such as startups, web, applications, digital programming, film, and animation.

Kendal Industrial Park (KIP) in Kendal Regency, Central Java province was among Indonesia-Singapore partnerships discussed on Tuesday’s meeting between President Joko Widodo and Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore. KIP is a joint venture between SembCorp (49%) and Kawasan Industri Jababeka (KIJA), which plans to develop a total area of 2,700 hectares. Progress?

On July 15, 2017, Ketapang Regency administration’s official website published an article about a plan from Chinese investor to develop an industrial estate with estimated investment of Rp4.5 trillion (slightly above US$300 million) in the regency, which is located in West Kalimantan province.

More property developers, especially those building apartments and condominium, plus hospitality players are included in the list of troubled companies. Imagine if the new capital city in East Kalimantan will attract more people than previously expected, which is likely the situation, given nature of relationship between corporations and the State.

Indonesia welcomed 10.87 million visits by foreign tourist in the first eight months of 2019, an increase of 2.67% only from the corresponding period last year. Those entering the country through Ngurah Rai international airport, main gate to the popular Bali Island, inched up 0.22% only to 4.06 million. It is increasingly difficult to achieve the government’s target to welcome 20 million visits by foreign tourist this year.

The government’s plan to move the capital city to East Kalimantan boosts long-term prospect of Balikpapan-Samarinda (99.35 KM) toll road built by state toll road operator and developer Jasa Marga (JSMR). As of Sept 13, 2019, physical construction of the toll road, the first in resource-rich island of Kalimantan, has reached 97.5%. That means only a matter of when this toll road will be commercial.