24 essential online resources to get into Indonesia's building market
Published on 13/01/2015
The huge opportunities in Indonesia’s building sector are well known, but for international companies looking to get involved, making the move into the market can seem daunting – it can be difficult to know where to start.
There is a lot of information on doing business in Indonesia out there, but it is scattered fairly widely. We have collected 24 of the best resources in one place for you – whether Indonesia is completely new to you or you need to know who to contact to ship your products there, there should be something here to help.
Business, tax and legal guides to Indonesia
1. http://www.kpmg.com/Ca/en/External%20Documents/investing-in-indonesia-2013.pdf
KPMG’s guide to Indonesia gives detailed information on the great benefits of investing in Indonesia as well as issues to take into account, including limits on foreign ownership and specific laws that must be complied with. The guide also covers company law, labour regulation, taxation, and Indonesia’s planned infrastructural development.
2. http://fita.org/countries/indonesia.html
This Indonesia business guide, from the Federation of International Trade Associations, is targeted at international firms. Its ‘selling and buying’ section has some interesting insights into the mentalities of Indonesian consumers.
3. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia
The World Bank’s Indonesia page has all the background information you could possibly need, as well as news updates, economic figures, days’ worth of analysis pieces, and details of the Bank’s investments in the country. Plenty of downloadable reports on Indonesia’s economy and development.
4. http://www.tmf-group.com/en/media-centre/resources/doing-business-in/discover-indonesia
An animated video giving a quick tour of the basics of Indonesia’s business climate – taxes, government structure, and how to set up a business.
5. http://www.wnplaw.com/english/pubs/Investing-in-Indonesia.pdf
A guide to the legal aspects of investing in Indonesia, covering land laws, employment, intellectual property, and other areas.
6. http://www.joneslanglasallesites.com/investmentguide/country/indonesia/
A brief guide to Indonesian property law compiled by global real estate firm Jones Lang Lasalle.
7. http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/services/tax/tax-tools-and-resources/pages/corporate-tax-rates-table.aspx
A useful chart from KPMG comparing Indonesia’s corporate tax rate against the rest of the world.
8. http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/indonesia
A summary of the World Bank’s Doing Business entry for Indonesia, with specific sections for Jakarta and Surabaya listing the time needed for each step in the process of starting a business.
9. http://www.chamber-international.com/export-import-key-markets/export-trading-with-indonesia
?A guide to exporting to Indonesia, with advice for meetings and a case study of a British company that has found success in Indonesia.
10. http://www.pkf.com/media/1960264/indonesia%20pkf%20tax%20guide%202013.pdf
A more detailed look at tax in Indonesia.
11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14921238
The BBC’s at-a-glance guide to Indonesia, covering its history, political situation and key facts.
12. http://www.indonesia-investments.com/business/business-columns/import-goods-into-the-territory-of-indonesia-roadmap/item5211
A guide from international law firm PNB on the legal aspects of importing goods into Indonesia.
News, analysis and statistics
13. http://www.gbgindonesia.com
The best Indonesia-focused business site on the web. Contains advice for investors, general information on the country, and sharp analysis on Indonesia’s construction sector, along with fact boxes handily placed through its articles. A particular highlight are regular interviews with key figures in Indonesia’s building and property sector, focusing on foreign investment and international partnership.
14. http://www.indonesia-investments.com
A rival to gbgindonesia.com for best Indonesia-focused site, this portal offers regular, detailed and reliable information and stats on Indonesia’s economy – as well as an online ‘business platform’ that matches foreign companies interested in coming to Indonesia with potential local partners. It also features a regular column from Indonesian law firm PNB guiding companies through the various steps of getting started in Indonesia.
15. http://www.asiagreenbuildings.com/tag/indonesia
An excellent site for news on green building across Asia. Its Indonesia section, where a new article appears once a month or so, contains news and analysis on environmentally friendly construction in Indonesia and the legislation that supports it.
16. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/asia
Bloomberg’s site, which stands out with its focus on video and multimedia, is a good source of information for what is happening across Asia.
17. http://www.bps.go.id/eng
For when only pure, raw data will do, Indonesia’s state statistical service keeps an English-language website of all its figures. Its housing, construction and economic data covers everything from total numbers of building workers in the country to where Indonesia imports its steel from. Some statistics are only available in Bahasa Indonesia, the national language, but Google Translate will solve that.
18. http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/property-business
A useful source of news on Jakarta and Indonesia’s property development sector.
Getting to Indonesia
19. http://www.projectvisa.com/visainformation/Indonesia
A list of nationalities that require a visa to enter Indonesia, along with how much visas cost and where to get them.
Useful contacts
20. http://www.handyshippingguide.com/overseas-agencies/freight-agencies-worldwide/indonesia/jakarta
A list of Jakarta-based shipping companies.
21. http://dlca.logcluster.org/display/public/DLCA/4.2.1+Indonesia+Government+Contact+List
A list of contacts for all the Indonesian national ministries and a range of regional ones, with names, numbers and email addresses accurate to July 2014. The website it is hosted on also has useful information on the shipping, port, rail and road networks of Indonesia.
22. http://www.bsd-kadin.org
The website of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Offers case studies, background information and a helpful FAQ page.
Cultural resources
23. http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/indonesian.php
A list of key phrases in Bahasa Indonesia, the country’s official national language. Nothing that will get you through a language degree, but enough to make a good impression.
24. https://www.buildingshows.com/market-insights/indonesia-insights/doing-business-in-indonesia-a-guide/801764642
Finally, here is ITE’s guide to making a good impression when you get to the country – who to address, how to do it, and how to make sure your relationship with your new Indonesian partners gets off to a good start.
Of course, one of the best ways to assess a country’s business potential is to see it first-hand. The Indobuildtech series of trade exhibitions offers a way into Indonesia’s booming build sector, bringing together government ministers, businesses and trade associations to network and share knowledge. To learn more about how coming to Indobuildtech can help your business, visit the show’s website.