New government will positively rebound property market

The new government is expected to support property growth, as demand for residential properties is on the increase.

Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla’s success in winning the presidential race is believed to be influential towards accelerating the property market during the second half of 2014, as numerous property developers and investors have left speculation mode in terms of investment.

The peaceful political process has also been viewed positively, strengthening market confidence towards the future of the country’s property sector. Additionally, active transactions were viewed during the month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri, further signalling optimism that the property market is bouncing back.

Hendra Hartono, property consultant and CEO of Leads Property Indonesia, alongside Joyp Rusli, chief marketing officer of Lippohomes, expressed confidence in the property sector for the third quarter this year. 

Latest property market news - Lippo group

On Wednesday, Lippo Group broke ground with a mixed-use shopping mall in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, in its latest endeavour to develop beyond Java.

The director revealed Lippo Mall Kupang will be built across four hectares, costing approximately Rp600billion ($51million).

The 40,000 square metre shopping mall will quarter Matahari Department Store, Hypermart, as well as the Lippo Group’s movie theater chain, Cinemaxx.

The Kupang mall is amongst the Lippo Group’s major plan to tap into the property market of East Nusa Tenggara.

The group is currently also building a branch of its private hospital chain - Siloam Hospitals – nearby the Lippo Mall Kupang, expected to open in October. It will cover an area of approximately two hectares with 320 rooms alongside 250 catering for patients.

Furthermore, the Jakarta based group will also construct a Lippo Group office, upon an area of approximately two hectares, on the site.

Last year, Lippo inducted the Kupang branch of its hypermarket chain, Hypermart, through Matahari Putra Prima — its lifestyle retail unit.

Beyond Kupang, the property conglomerate is also presently undertaking several projects within areas outside Java - Including Makassar, Padang, South Sulawesi and West Sumatra.

The latest developments in Indonesia

Property developer, The Blacksteel Group, has announced plans to construct projects worth $300million in various Indonesian cities until 2018. The Lippo Group stated the company will concentrate on developing property within remote areas.

One project is the development of Lombok City Center (LCC), a mall in Mataram, the capital of the island. Funds of the project are from a variety of sources combined from money from investor’s, internal cash and bank loans and money from investors. The LCC is expected to be completed by 2016 with investment for the project estimated at approximately Rp1trillion ($86million). The Lippo group claim LCC will boost the image of West Nusa Tenggara to transform to a modern province providing bright investment prospects.

Furthermore, LCC is assumed to open employment opportunities in the region, aid in propelling consumer purchasing power and boost the regional economy. Representatives from Lippo have also claimed Blacksteel intends to develop property projects in areas that big developers have not yet engaged with; concentrating on second and third tier Indonesian cities. This is with Blacksteel plans to construct 17 malls over the next five years.

Higher wages together with steady economic growth over recent years has given greater purchasing power to consumers of Indonesia’s Eastern provinces.

The company is currently developing the Ambon City Center (Maluku province) and Ponorogo City Center (East Java) malls.

Blacksteel is independent of the Lippo Group.