Indonesia Leans on Singapore for Maritime Sector Investment

Indonesia Leans on Singapore for Maritime Sector Investment. The Indonesian government is angling for greater investment in the country’s maritime sector from Singapore, its biggest source of FDI, as President Joko Widodo prepares to visit the city-state next week.

“There’s a lot of [interest] in the maritime industry from Singapore, especially in Batam, Bintan and Karimun [islands],” Azhar Lubis, the deputy chairman of Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said after a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Thursday.

He noted that 60 percent to 70 percent of Singapore’s investment in Indonesia went to those islands, about an hour’s boat ride from Singapore, and that the Indonesian government wanted to see more investment in other regions of the country.

“We invited them to invest outside Java, in Makassar and Manado,” he said.

Import Tariff Increase Puts Pressure on Alcohol Drinkers

Import Tariff Increase Puts Pressure on Alcohol Drinkers. Liquor, beer, and wine drinkers will have to pay more than double the price for imported drinks in coming months after the government raised import tariffs.

Brandy, whiskey, vodka and other imported liquors will now be subject to a 150 percent import tariff. Drinks that have alcohol content of less than 46 percent are currently subjected to a Rp 125,000 import tariff per liter.

Other alcoholic beverages of less than 15 percent alcohol volume in a tw0-liter units will be subjected to a 90 percent import tariff. Currently they are subjected to a Rp 55,000 import tariff per liter. Malt beers are subjected to a Rp 14,000 import tariff per liter.

13 Indonesian carriers risk losing licences

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transport has given thirteen of the country’s carriers until the end of July to improve their financial positions, or risk losing of their Air Operator Certificates, according to a report in the Jakarta Post. The 13 carriers affected include: Indonesia AirAsia, Batik Air (part of the Lion Group), Cardigair, Transwisata Air, EastIndo, Survai Udara Penas, Air Pacific (Indonesia), Jhonlin Air Transport, Asialink Cargo Express, Ersa Eastern Aviation, Tri-M.G. Intra Asia Airlines, Nusantara Buena Air, and Manunggal Air.

Tri MG Airlines is one of the only three independent cargo carriers operating in Indonesia. The airline operates daily flights Singapore – Jakarta – Balikpapan five times a week carrying 15.5 tonnes of cargo per-flight. Tri M-G has a fleet of 11 freighters.