Employing in
Indonesia

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Expanding into
Indonesia

Global expansion is a step to make for any business, regardless of what you wish to achieve. The opportunities that can come with an expansion can be both incredibly exciting as well as intimidating and confusing, especially when you consider all the registration procedures that need to be done and the documentation required.

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The Republic of Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia … and geographically has the size to match. Indonesia is the largest archipelagic nation in the world, stretching over 3,000 miles from east to west and 1,000 miles from north to south, comprising a patchwork of close to 18,000 islands, 8,000 of which have been named.

Indonesia’s economy benefits from holding a key position on global maritime routes between east and south Asia, Oceania, Australia and New Zealand, to place it at a focal point for world trade. Indonesia’s 20-year economic plan was in its final quarter between 2020 and 2025, with the focus on investing in human capital and global competitiveness.

Each new markets bring new challenges, and these can be worked through more efficiently and cost-effectively with the support of a Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) such as Bradford Jacobs, especially through our Employer of Record (EOR) framework.

This can be best utilised when businesses are just beginning their expansion process and require more information before committing to incorporating an entity and fully establishing themselves in that market.

Country EOR Guide - Bradford Jacobs

Download our Guide to Indonesia

Learn all about expanding into Indonesia and see what we can do to make your expansion easier.

Download our Guide to Indonesia

Learn all about expanding into Indonesia and see what we can do to make your expansion easier.

Country EOR Guide - Bradford Jacobs

Hiring Staff
in Indonesia

Hiring Staff
in Indonesia

The Main Sectors of the Indonesian Economy

The country focuses on the following key sectors, which all have a significant impact on the country’s economy:

Indonesia’s services sector was predicted to benefit in 2023 from increased domestic demand that was stalled by the pandemic. Indonesia is untypical in that the sector ranks behind manufacturing, unlike in many nations. The sector includes such as healthcare, wholesale and retail trade, vehicle repair and maintenance, information and communication services, financial and insurance support, transport and storage, state and public authorities and real estate activities.

The government seeks investment to restart projects that were put on hold after failing to hit production targets in 2022. The aim is to boost crude oil production to one million barrels a day and gas to 12,000 cubic feet per day by 2030. In January 2023 the government announced plans to resume development of the Indonesia Deepwater Development (IDD) and the Masela gas blocks. The sector needs investment to capitalise on rising commodity prices. The government’s SKK Migas Task Force identified initiatives, including accelerating the process of getting resources into production; enhancing oil recovery and increasing exploration. Financial incentives included VAT exemption on liquefied natural gas; exemption from rental fees for state-owned assets in upstream oil and gas operations; reductions of up to 100% on indirect taxes.

Mining accounts for around 10% of GDP and Indonesia introduced measures to protect the value of its resources. In 2014 it prohibited exporting raw mineral ores to encourage foreign investment in the sector and encourage local smelters to create refined, higher-value exports. The ban was extended to nickel in 2019, requiring producers to process and purify the metal before export. Nickel is used in electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and this decision caused supply chain disruption which prompted the European Union to protest to the World Trade Organisation.

Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves and export revenue grew from one billion US dollars in 2015 to 30 billion in 2022. The ban was expected to include bauxite in 2023. The Grasberg Mine in Central Papua has among the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world. Indonesia is the world’s third largest exporter of coal behind China and India and the leading exporter of thermal coal (briquettes). Other resources, largely undeveloped, include manganese, zinc and lead.

Indonesia’s world leading reserves and production of nickel make it a key player in the development of electric vehicles (EVs). Nickel is essential for electric batteries, and their production will become a major part of Indonesia’s manufacturing and industrial sectors. To complement nickel production, Indonesia is also developing refineries for lithium, equally vital for manufacturing batteries. The Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment stated that international EV makers Tesla and China’s BYD are preparing to invest in the production facilities.

The emphasis on nickel and lithium fits with the government’s drive to push Indonesia into the world’s top 10 economies by 2030. Manufacturing is comfortably the largest sector of the economy, ahead of services and agriculture. Indonesia’s manufacturing profile also includes textiles and garments, the automotive sector in which Japanese brands have invested, and electronics. Indonesia is one of only five countries where manufacturing accounts for more than 20% of GDP, alongside China, South Korea, Japan and Germany.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy set a target of attracting 7.4 million tourists for 2023, which would be barely half of pre-pandemic levels but still be a significant reboot. The government is attracting foreign investment to support sustainable eco-tourism projects at five priority destinations and eight special economic zones catering for tourists.

The Ministry prices the investment in the projects at 1.5 billion US dollars with the prospect of creating one-and-a-half million new jobs. In 2021, Indonesia climbed 12 places to 32nd out of 117 nations on the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, by improving on the environment and conditions for tourists, infrastructure and sustainability.

The World Bank is driving the Indonesia Agriculture Value Chain Development project with US$100 million of funding in selected regional agricultural sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture is targeting food production systems, diversification, logistics, modernisation and exports. Around 40% of Indonesians live in rural areas and the sector employs almost 30% of the workforce, plus those in related wholesale and retail activities, logistics, manufacturing and services.

First-stage production accounted for 13.7% of GDP in 2020. The sector ranges from private and state-owned plantations, to MSME smallholdings. Palm oil, rubber, coffee and cocoa, rice and spices are among the commodities that put Indonesia among the world’s leading producers and exports of agricultural produce.

The national bank, Bank Indonesia, oversees a vibrant financial and monetary sector, and has the major objective of securing the value of the national currency, the rupiah. The banking sector comprises commercial and rural banks, including Islamic banks and financial institutions. In 2022, Bank Rakyat, the largest, Bank Mandiri and Bank Central Asia were the only financial institutions with assets exceeding 70 million US dollars. In that year there were 107 different commercial banks.

The Indonesia Stock Exchange is regulated by the Indonesia Financial Services Authority (OJK). Traditional banks remain favoured by a majority of customers for both personal banking and obtaining financial services products. Alongside this, digital banks are rapidly gaining ground as they are considered to be more innovative in attracting consumers who are becoming increasingly ‘e-aware’.

The Main Sectors of the Indonesian Economy

The country focuses on the following key sectors, which all have a significant impact on the country’s economy:

Indonesia’s services sector was predicted to benefit in 2023 from increased domestic demand that was stalled by the pandemic. Indonesia is untypical in that the sector ranks behind manufacturing, unlike in many nations. The sector includes such as healthcare, wholesale and retail trade, vehicle repair and maintenance, information and communication services, financial and insurance support, transport and storage, state and public authorities and real estate activities.

The government seeks investment to restart projects that were put on hold after failing to hit production targets in 2022. The aim is to boost crude oil production to one million barrels a day and gas to 12,000 cubic feet per day by 2030. In January 2023 the government announced plans to resume development of the Indonesia Deepwater Development (IDD) and the Masela gas blocks. The sector needs investment to capitalise on rising commodity prices. The government’s SKK Migas Task Force identified initiatives, including accelerating the process of getting resources into production; enhancing oil recovery and increasing exploration. Financial incentives included VAT exemption on liquefied natural gas; exemption from rental fees for state-owned assets in upstream oil and gas operations; reductions of up to 100% on indirect taxes.

Mining accounts for around 10% of GDP and Indonesia introduced measures to protect the value of its resources. In 2014 it prohibited exporting raw mineral ores to encourage foreign investment in the sector and encourage local smelters to create refined, higher-value exports. The ban was extended to nickel in 2019, requiring producers to process and purify the metal before export. Nickel is used in electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and this decision caused supply chain disruption which prompted the European Union to protest to the World Trade Organisation.

Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves and export revenue grew from one billion US dollars in 2015 to 30 billion in 2022. The ban was expected to include bauxite in 2023. The Grasberg Mine in Central Papua has among the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world. Indonesia is the world’s third largest exporter of coal behind China and India and the leading exporter of thermal coal (briquettes). Other resources, largely undeveloped, include manganese, zinc and lead.

Indonesia’s world leading reserves and production of nickel make it a key player in the development of electric vehicles (EVs). Nickel is essential for electric batteries, and their production will become a major part of Indonesia’s manufacturing and industrial sectors. To complement nickel production, Indonesia is also developing refineries for lithium, equally vital for manufacturing batteries. The Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment stated that international EV makers Tesla and China’s BYD are preparing to invest in the production facilities.

The emphasis on nickel and lithium fits with the government’s drive to push Indonesia into the world’s top 10 economies by 2030. Manufacturing is comfortably the largest sector of the economy, ahead of services and agriculture. Indonesia’s manufacturing profile also includes textiles and garments, the automotive sector in which Japanese brands have invested, and electronics. Indonesia is one of only five countries where manufacturing accounts for more than 20% of GDP, alongside China, South Korea, Japan and Germany.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy set a target of attracting 7.4 million tourists for 2023, which would be barely half of pre-pandemic levels but still be a significant reboot. The government is attracting foreign investment to support sustainable eco-tourism projects at five priority destinations and eight special economic zones catering for tourists.

The Ministry prices the investment in the projects at 1.5 billion US dollars with the prospect of creating one-and-a-half million new jobs. In 2021, Indonesia climbed 12 places to 32nd out of 117 nations on the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, by improving on the environment and conditions for tourists, infrastructure and sustainability.

The World Bank is driving the Indonesia Agriculture Value Chain Development project with US$100 million of funding in selected regional agricultural sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture is targeting food production systems, diversification, logistics, modernisation and exports. Around 40% of Indonesians live in rural areas and the sector employs almost 30% of the workforce, plus those in related wholesale and retail activities, logistics, manufacturing and services.

First-stage production accounted for 13.7% of GDP in 2020. The sector ranges from private and state-owned plantations, to MSME smallholdings. Palm oil, rubber, coffee and cocoa, rice and spices are among the commodities that put Indonesia among the world’s leading producers and exports of agricultural produce.

The national bank, Bank Indonesia, oversees a vibrant financial and monetary sector, and has the major objective of securing the value of the national currency, the rupiah. The banking sector comprises commercial and rural banks, including Islamic banks and financial institutions. In 2022, Bank Rakyat, the largest, Bank Mandiri and Bank Central Asia were the only financial institutions with assets exceeding 70 million US dollars. In that year there were 107 different commercial banks.

The Indonesia Stock Exchange is regulated by the Indonesia Financial Services Authority (OJK). Traditional banks remain favoured by a majority of customers for both personal banking and obtaining financial services products. Alongside this, digital banks are rapidly gaining ground as they are considered to be more innovative in attracting consumers who are becoming increasingly ‘e-aware’.

Commercial Laws in
Indonesia

The Directorate General of Taxes (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak, DJP):  Government agency with the responsibility of developing and implementing policies and standardising application of tax laws.

Tax Offices (Jawatan Pajak): Part of the DJP and responsible for tax collection.

Agricultural Tax Office: (Jawatan Patak Hasil Bumil): Responsible for collecting taxes due on agricultural land produce and operates under the Directorate of Regional Development Contribution.

The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration: The only government ministry with responsibility for labour legislation and the treatment of workers.

General requirements

Open-ended, permanent contracts can be in writing or agreed verbally. Fixed-term contracts must be in writing and cannot include a probation period, which must otherwise be included in a written agreement. Trial periods cannot exceed a single block of three months. Written agreements must be in the Bahasa Indonesia language, which will be the legal version in the case of dual language contracts.

Agreements, whether written or verbal, should stipulate full details of both parties; the employees job title, job location, terms and conditions, benefits and obligations; start date of agreement and the date and location it was signed by both employer and employee.

Commercial Laws in
Indonesia

The Directorate General of Taxes (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak, DJP):  Government agency with the responsibility of developing and implementing policies and standardising application of tax laws.

Tax Offices (Jawatan Pajak): Part of the DJP and responsible for tax collection.

Agricultural Tax Office: (Jawatan Patak Hasil Bumil): Responsible for collecting taxes due on agricultural land produce and operates under the Directorate of Regional Development Contribution.

The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration: The only government ministry with responsibility for labour legislation and the treatment of workers.

General requirements

Open-ended, permanent contracts can be in writing or agreed verbally. Fixed-term contracts must be in writing and cannot include a probation period, which must otherwise be included in a written agreement. Trial periods cannot exceed a single block of three months. Written agreements must be in the Bahasa Indonesia language, which will be the legal version in the case of dual language contracts.

Agreements, whether written or verbal, should stipulate full details of both parties; the employees job title, job location, terms and conditions, benefits and obligations; start date of agreement and the date and location it was signed by both employer and employee.

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