Seperti yang sudah kita ketahui bersama, Pemerintah Provinsi DKI Jakarta kembali memberlakukan PSBB untuk wilayahnya terhitung 14 September 2020. Pengetatan kembali PSBB ini tak pelak diprediksi akan kembali memukul sejumlah sektor perekonomian, termasuk sektor properti,  yang baru saja kembali bergeliat setelah 3 bulan pemberlakuan masa PSBB transisi.

Dikutip dari Kompas.com (13/9), Ketua KADIN Bidang Properti Hendro S Gondokusumo berpendapat jika PSBB kedua dilakukan, sektor properti akan kembali mengalami penurunan hingga 70 persen seperti yang terjadi di masa PSBB pertama. Padahal sektor ini baru saja sedikit mengalami peningkatan 40 persen hingga 50 persen pada masa PSBB transisi.

Tutupnya kegiatan ekonomi sejumlah sektor non-esensial pun berdampak pada menyusutnya penyewaan kantor yang sudah dirasakan para pemilik gedung sejak PSBB pertama pada April lalu. Sejumlah pusat perbelanjaan bahkan mati suri. Geliat ekonomi mulai terlihat pada awal Juli ketika pengunjung mulai berdatangan, meskipun baru sepertiga dari jumlah yang biasa datang di kala tidak ada pandemi.

Kondisi ini pun akhirnya membuat para pebisnis properti memutar otak untuk menyelamatkan bisnisnya. Aneka promosi ditebar untuk memikat konsumen, seperti Sinar mas Land yang memberi diskon 10 persen hingga 25 persen dan bonus Rp50-300 juta, seperti yang dikutip oleh Katadata.co.id (14/9). Meski kondisi pasar melambat, ada beberapa proyek properti yang sukses, salah satunya karena didorong permintaan dan produk yang ditawarkan cocok dengan kalangan menengah.

Di tengah perekonomian yang kian terhimpit, resesi ekonomi jelas akan sangat berpengaruh pada sektor properti.  Senior Associate Director Colliers International Indonesia Ferry Salanto, sebagaimana dikutip dari Okezone.com (25/9), mengatakan jika resesi ekonomi terjadi, industri properti akan semakin sulit untuk bisa bangkit kembali (rebound) ke posisi semula.

DGCE Director General Heru Pambudi confirmed that the government will announce policies related to the cigarette excise (CHT) tariffs increase in 2021 at the end of September or early October.

Heru refused to provide an overview of the formulation for the increase, however, he did say the increase is usually calculated from the inflation target and projected economic growth for next year. “If next year’s economic growth is 5 percent and inflation is at 3 percent, the CHT rate increase should be above 8 percent. The Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) will determine it,” he said.

Previously, DGCE Director of Technical and Excise Facilities, Nirwala Dwi Heryanto, stated that the government was also considering the pandemic situation that had reduced cigarette consumption. DGCE data until August 2020 shows that cigarette excise revenue makes up the largest portion of excise revenue, and until August 31, had contributed Rp94.39 trillion representing growth of 6.09 percent.

Although the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) development concept has been widely adopted as a city development approach by cities of the world, many remain unaware of the TOD concept. Basically put, TOD is a city planning concept that focuses on the optimal use of public transport transit areas.

The concept combines various commercial and residential areas so that they are within comfortable walking distance of transit stops. All residential, office and recreational facilities in TOD areas must be integrated with mass transportation systems such as the BRT, busway, MRT, LRT, and Commuter Rail System, and also have pedestrian and bicycle networks.

It is hoped that once a city has a public transportation network integrated with its residential and commercial areas, many of its residents will switch from using private vehicles to public transportation, and this will bring about a reduction in traffic congestion and air pollution within the city.

In Indonesia, many present-day housing developers are offering housing in TOD areas to match the market demand increasingly influenced by the growing numbers of millennial consumers. The TOD housing concept is considered to appeal to the millennial generation, who tend to be practical, economical, and require an integrated public transportation system to commute to work.

In the TOD residential areas offered by these developers, the residential areas are built as close as possible to public transportation access points so that residents can quickly and easily access public transportation stops on foot. The development of mass transportation networks, including the MRT, LRT, and high-speed train systems, in Indonesia is expected to increase the marketability of TOD housing in the future.

Reflecting on the experiences of other cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, the use of the TOD concept appears to present an effective solution for any city government wanting to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution to create a healthier city. From a business perspective, urban area developers must be aware of the high market demand for housing projects integrated with mass transportation (TOD) that will only increase in the future, and take advantage of this opportunity to achieve maximum gains.

Many are wondering what will the future of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) busines in Indonesia be, especially after the government has failed to win an agreement extension with a consortium of buyers from Japan known as Western Buyers Extension (WBX).

Pri Agung Rakhmanto, oil and gas expert from Trisakti University, said that the present state of the LNG business in Indonesia is that it is overwhelmed by an oversupply that has driven LNG prices further down, while LNG producers from other countries have been selling their products at even lower prices, like LNG producers from Australia, Qatar, Malaysia, and the United States. Pri said this situation could continue for the next two or three years.

According to Pri, the future of the LNG business in Indonesia depends on the ability of policy makers in the government to find new buyers in the market. One option the government could take is to make the Indonesian LNG price more competitive is by reducing the LNG proportion for the government. Pri also mentioned that what’s important is to keep LNG projects going in order to trigger a multiplier effect for the economy.

CEO of PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk. (IDX:TPIA), Prayogo Pangestu, stated that the company plans to start the construction of its joint venture with tire maker Michelin & Cie (ML) in November.

The new plant, which will manufacture synthetic rubber, is slated to start operating in 2016. It will be located in Cilegon, Banten.

According to Pangestu, the whole plan will involve two stages: First stage requires $500 million investment in setting up the plant and procuring the raw materials. The second stage also requires a $500 million investment to manufacture automotive tires.

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