Oplecenter Business & Finance News

I never think of the future-it comes soon enough (Albert Einstein). ONE year ago, most market participants believe that the portfolio securities in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) will still be listed at approximately 30 percent return.

Four months ago we seriously discussed the possibility of oil prices touched USD200 per barrel rate. This month the government still believed that economic growth in 2009 was 6 percent range. Of very uncomfortable to write that the index has now been eroded IDX approximately 60 percent compared to the beginning of 2008. Oil prices continued to decline and is now trading below $ 70 per barrel.

Dollar exchange rate has been maintained quite well, actually only in a few days could be dropped in amounts thousands per day. Many countries suddenly took serious steps to anticipate the recession and honestly revised economic growth targets. In front of the parliament, Prime Minister Gordon Brown publicly admitted, the UK economy is entering a recession cycle.

These days some officials have always maintained, what is happening in Indonesia is the impact of the global negative sentiment, a fact that we do not deny it. The problem, the same officials had always expressed Indonesia’s economic fundamentalism is very strong and this time the crisis was quite different from the crisis that hit the region ten years ago.

All the data indicated the purpose of trying to convince market players not to panic and remain objective-rational. Unfortunately, some market participants view such policy measures are not consistent, so the reaction provided the reaction reflects the loss of principal trust (vote of no confidence). Imagine, in the face of credit and liquidity dried interbank loans, Bank Indonesia raised interest rates precisely (BI Rate).

Not to mention the people forget the statement that the Indonesian vice president to solve problems with their own strengths, there suddenly describing loan officers standby (standby loan) from the World Bank is ready disbursed, and no new proposals in bilateral debt to several countries.

At the time of rising oil prices, which then followed up with the increase of oil prices three times in the past three years, we are always convinced that oil prices would be reduced if oil prices fall on world markets. Many countries have lowered oil prices. Malaysia has even lowered the price of oil in the country twice.

Why do not we do this soon? Pragmatically, this step is the very credible steps to prove the truth of reason and the promise that had always been presented. Everyone knows, the prices on the stock exchange rose sharply during this because the trade surplus (overtrading) with high levels of speculation. So, if one day the price drops, it is a market correction, so that the prices of securities near strength direpresentasikannya real economy.

That is why, if there is a suspension (dismissal) of trade, its nature must be very short, not prolonged. What we see in it displaying IDX hesitation or panic. Market participants interpret what happens is the practice of protecting the interests of a particular issuer.

There are elements of the community see the injustice here because when prices rise, profits enjoyed personally, but if the opposite happens, the loss should be borne jointly (Privatization of profits and externalization of losses). Maintaining the confidence of market participants is an important factor in maintaining economic stability.

Market participants would hesitate if the signal or signals given full policy makers with dishonesty or contradictory to each other. As written Rosabeth Kanter (2006), trust and credibility is built through transparency and consistency. “They are not episodes, they are trajectories. They are tendencies, directions, Pathways.” Hopes that a new balance is coming is the hope of neoclassical economists who believe that the market has a mechanism and the ability to recover quickly.

When Thorstein Veblen (1898) writes, “Equilibrium is a Daydream of Economists who do not live in the real world”, French President Nicolas Sarkozy made the statement, “Selfregulation is finished, laissezfaire is finished.” Together with a number of world leaders, Mr Sarkozy urged the United States (U.S.) to be willing to overhaul the world financial architecture and willing to share the role with a number of new economic powers emerging as China, Japan, India, and countries in the Middle East.

The government continues we expect to take a transparent policy and consistent. Do not let the one hand the government has appealed to the minimum wage increase sought does not exceed the level of economic growth, but there is no appeal or similar arrangement to limit the amount of annual bonus or incentive (gratification) for the commissioners and directors of state owned enterprises (SOEs) and companies public.

Also, do not get in the middle of efforts to suppress termination rates (FLE) as low as possible, the development funds allocated to the area stays neat as savings in banks. In the present circumstances, employment creation programs through labor-intensive projects in order to create or maintain the public’s purchasing power is needed.

Do not let the name of pragmatism and economic considerations, we re-drawn to increasingly away from the constitutional mandate. In the middle of the storm, we must continue to have a clear direction

JOHANNESBURG – the giant energy company from South Africa, Eskom, took credit loans worth 1185 million euros (R13 billion rands) with French banks to fund two power programs.

Reporting from the AFP, Tuesday (29/12/2009), the Eskom said in a statement expressed when the loan will be used to finance foreign contracts for power plants Medupi and Kusile.

Banks that provide loans funds include BNP Paribas, Calyon, Societe Generale, Natixis, as well as credit institutions in the cover by COFACE, a French export credit agency.

Earlier this month, the utility of South Africa said it had signed an export credit agency loans for 705 million euros in three South African banks and four foreigners to finance power plants Kusile.

The loan is to help the giant energy companies to finance the expansion of generating electricity for the 385 billion rand is currently fighting for funding searches.

As for the loan, fixed rate loan would be paid back more than 12 years after the relevant commissioning of two power plants.

For information, blackout that occurred in this country in January 2008 showed the strain aging electricity infrastructure. Forcing key industries to close, amid growing demands of economic improvement after the end of apartheid.

In addition, both the power plant has been implementing the tariff increase as much as two times the average of 59 percent since last year. The increase was made to finance the construction of new power plants in order to meet increasing electricity demand.

MEXICO – The rating of Standard & Poor’s expresses the banks in Latin America will benefit in the second quarter. In fact, the economic crisis has made banks dependence on deposits than loans disbursed.

As reported by the AFP, Tuesday (13/10/2009), most banks in Latin America will end the period (second quarter) with a profit. Despite the fact that economic activity declined and the economic growth is still berfluktuatif.

“The banks are considered, we do not see a problem in the banking system, as seen in the United States, Europe, and Asia,” said analyst Standard & Poor’s Angelica Bala.

For your information, the banks in Latin America to escape from the liquidity crisis because they do not have such a sophisticated operation of credit derivative instruments.

The private credit sector in Latin America represents an average of 20 percent of GDP, compared to approximately 80 percent of Spain’s economy, and approximately 100 percent in the United States (U.S.). However, banks in Latin America experienced more severe decline in activity between 2009 and 2010 than the U.S..

While the capitalization and liquidity of banks in Brazil, which is the region’s largest economy, will help cushion the impact of reduction in assets and investments.

According to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Latin American economies expected to fall 1.9 percent this year, despite positive signs at the end of the year could result in shrinking 1.5 percent as a whole.

NEW YORK – United States Central Bank (The Federal Reserve / Fed) has recorded a number of banks tightening credit standards apply various loan products, ranging from residential mortgages to business loans.

In a recent survey revealed the Fed has tightened bank lending to all types of loans during the quarter due to the worst financial crisis in seven decades on the economy.

Fed survey revealed, the first two weeks in October, a large enough percentage of banks that have made borrowing standards and requirements in all major loan categories over the previous three months.

The Fed noted about 85 percent of domestic banks have been tightening lending standards for commercial and industrial loans. While loans to businesses recorded increased from 60 percent in the June survey.

Even a larger proportion of the bank, which has 95 percent of the tightening of lending standards for credit expansion and increase the medium to large businesses.

Nearly 60 percent of banks said they had done tightening lending standards on credit card debt, while 65 percent said the bank doing the tightening lending standards for other types of consumer loans for three months.

Some big banks also reported tightening lending standards on housing loans, as well as nontraditional residential mortgage loans and residential mortgage loans simple extension of loans to borrowers who have a weakness in the mortgage payment. This was done since the housing sector went bankrupt because of the global financial crisis

JAKARTA – Indosat and Citibank cooperate in presenting the latest innovations of electronic banking services Citi Mobile, started in May 2008. Indosat as one of the leading telecommunication operator will provide the infrastructure, while Citibank will provide banking information and the means of payment through mobile commerce.

Cooperation between these two leading companies will be able to bring the sophistication of telecommunications technology to provide benefits in the form of new banking services for our customers. With Citi Mobile, customers can manage personal finances, which includes credit card and banking needs anywhere even outside the country.

Customers who often travel to enjoy e-banking through Indosat’s cellular service. Taking advantage of Citibank’s ability to manage credit card information and banking and adapt to individual needs, so customers can make transactions for credit card and banking such as checking balances, transfer funds, or credit card bill payments or loans. In addition, through mobile commerce facilities that customers can make purchases pulse content and regular bill payments.

? Cooperation between Indosat and Citibank, we hope to increase the added value Indosat service to customers who are also customers of Citibank. Customers will enjoy a simple banking transactions, fast and safe and can be made anywhere customers are supported by the latest telecommunication technology of Indosat, “says Director of Indosat Guntur S Marketinng Siboro through official statements, Saturday (10/9/2008).

“In this information age, the ability to access information in a timely manner is critical. We see these services as value added in the form of a virtual financial services to its customers by meeting the needs of the transaction. In this way we can control the customer’s financial condition in accordance with the lifestyle they had,” said Head of Citibank Retail Banking Meliana Sutikno