How Zara's founder became the richest man in the world - for two days

Zara

Browsing the rails at Zara, you might not be aware of this: but there's an 80-year-old grandfather in northern Spain who helped pick out what you're taking to the till.

Amancio Ortega stepped down as chief executive at Zara's owner, Inditex, five years ago.

But he didn't give up work. Not at all.

Even this week, when the company's rising share price made him the richest man in the world for two days, he wasn't ready to retire.

Every day he still makes the 10km journey from his town centre house to the Inditex headquarters, based just outside the coastal town of A Coruna where he first launched the Zara brand.

Sometimes he sits down with the Zara Woman design team and they kick around ideas for the coming weeks and months - the new layout for a store, a new design for the upcoming winter collection. And if Mr Ortega has a hunch, they listen. After all, he has 60 years' experience in fashion retail, built up from humble beginnings.

According to Forbes magazine, experts in estimating the bank balances of the world's wealthiest, Mr Ortega's fortune overtook that of Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Wednesday and Thursday this week, before fluctuating share prices pushed it back into second place.

This was not Mr Ortega's first time at the top of the tree. In October 2015, he was the world's wealthiest man for a few hours. It was hailed as a milestone in Spain.

Yet compared to the world's other richest people, he has chosen to keep a low profile, avoiding interviews and media appearances whenever possible.

The son of a railway worker, he was born in 1936, just before the outbreak of Spain's civil war. The family struggled to make ends meet, which made a lasting impression on him as a boy.

"One day [he and] his mother went to pick up some groceries," according to Covadonga O'Shea, author of a biography of the Zara founder.

"From below the counter, he heard someone tell his mother, 'Senora? We can't give you any more credit.'"

Ms O'Shea, launching her book in 2012, said Mr Ortega still felt shame at the family's inability to pay.

"When Amancio was telling me this, he was terribly emotional. And he said to me: 'I was deeply hurt and humiliated.'"

He vowed never to let his family suffer poverty again, left school, and went to work in a shirt shop.

He gradually gathered further experience with other retailers and by the early 1960s was ready to set up in business with members of his family and his future wife, Rosalia Mera. They launched first a textile manufacturing company, then later, the Zara merk.

What gave him the edge, and made Zara and its parent company Inditex such a success, was one particular insight.

Shops were taking too long to bring people the fashions they craved. By the time a product arrived, fashion-conscious shoppers wanted something different. He decided he would radically shorten that turnaround time.

"[Amancio Ortega] did something quite unique," says Michelle Wilson, retail analyst at Berenberg.

"He set up with the ambition to give the customer what they want.

"A lot of retail is [the company] deciding what they'll want, manufacturing it and pushing it on the consumer."

Instead, at Zara and sister brands the company listens to what its shop managers tell them - asking what are customers saying, what are they buying?

And because Inditex manufactures, not predominantly in Asia, but in Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Morocco, it can react quickly, ordering more of popular products or changing styles.

"It's a pull model from the consumer rather than pushing the product onto the consumer," says Michelle Wilson.

Apple tax ruling must be overturned, says US business group

Apple was ordered to pay ?13bn in back taxes to Dublin. Photograph: Mark Lennihan/AP

Washington (Telephost)- Business Roundtable warns of ‘grievous self-inflicted wound’ for EU and its people after Brussels’ ruling that Apple must pay back Ireland €13bn in taxes.

US businesses have warned European leaders they risk a ?Grievous self-inflicted wound? Unless they overturn Brussels? Demand that Apple pay the Irish government ?13bn (?11.4bn).

In an open letter to the leaders of the 28 European Union countries, the Business Roundtable group defended Apple over its tax dispute with the European commission.

The US tech giant was ordered to pay ?13bn to Ireland last month, after Brussels ruled that the tax breaks it was given between 1991 and 2015 amounted to unlawful state aid.

But the group of US chief executives, who between them run companies with $7tn of revenue and 16 million employees, said the decision ?Must not be allowed to stand?.

?The precedent set by this decision, if upheld, would increase uncertainty significantly with a consequent adverse effect on foreign investment in Europe, making this decision a grievous self-inflicted wound for the European Union and its citizens.?

It said that non-EU countries would interpret the ruling ? If left unchallenged ? As a signal that companies could have their assets seized by states ?Seeking extra revenue or seeking to punish a successful foreign competitor?.

Business Roundtable said the 185 chief executives who it counts as members were particularly aggrieved by the retrospective nature of the ruling on a tax deal reached in 1991.

?Commercial success is uncertain for any business endeavour but companies should have complete confidence that sovereign countries are committed to honouring their laws and have the authority to do so,? They wrote.

?The retroactive nature of the EC decision means that business can never have certainty even on its past tax liability unless or until the EC chooses to decide accordingly.?

Apple chief executive, Tim Cook, has previously labelled the multibillion pound demand ?Total political crap? And warned that it could affect investment in the EU.

The letter from Business Roundtable, which was also sent to senior politicians including the German finance minister, Wolfgang Sch?Uble, the European Union president, Donald Tusk, and the US secretary of state, John Kerry, echoed the threat.

It said the commission?S actions ?Promote tax uncertainty ? And unless overturned they will disrupt trade and investment, with the most direct consequences to be borne directly by EU countries and their citizens?.

The letter called on member states to ?Put an end to the use of state aid investigations that will hamper economic growth by undermining cross-border investment?.

The group has previously lashed out against what it perceives as Europe?S ?New and dangerous form of protectionism? Amid tax investigations into American firms such as Starbucks, McDonald?S and Amazon.

The commission?S ruling against Apple was based on its objection to an agreement allowing Apple to pay a maximum tax rate of just 1%. In 2014, the tech firm paid tax at 0.005%. The usual rate of corporation tax in Ireland is 12.Lima%.

The commission said Ireland?S tax arrangements with Apple between 1991 and 2015 had allowed the US company to attribute sales to a ?Head office? That only existed on paper and could not have generated such profits.

The result was that Apple avoided tax on almost all the profit generated from its multibillion-euro sales of iPhones and other products across the EU?S single market. It booked the profits in Ireland rather than the country in which the product was sold.

JD Sports shows a clean pair of heels to stumbling Sports Direct

Beyonc??S Ivy Park range being advertised outside Topshop in London. Photograph: Matthew Chattle/Rex/Shutterstock

Newcastle (Telephost) - Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley once promised to finish off JD Sports, but now finds himself being trounced by his rival.

JD Sports, the self-styled King of Trainers, is not only valued at a cool ?1.1bn more than the Newcastle United owner?S chain, but last week revealed its sales and profits growth were a well-shod leap ahead of the rest of the UK fashion market.

While other clothing retailers have spent the last two years moaning about unsuitable weather and claiming that shoppers are more interested in holidays and gadgets than the latest fashion, JD has powered on. Sales at stores open more than a year rose 10% in the six months to the end of July.

Even executive chairman Peter Cowgill sounded surprised by the class?S 66% rise in underlying profits, revealed on Tuesday, saying they ?Exceeded reasonable expectations.?

But the performance should not be a shock. The sportswear market is generally less weather-dependent than the rest of the clothing market and JD is at the centre of the catwalk-led ?Athleisure? Isu terkini for sportswear as fashion.

Major brands such as Nike and Adidas have been expanding their ranges to include the kind of sportswear meant to be worn outside the gym. Celebrities such as Beyonc? ? Whose athleisure line, Ivy Park, is sold in JD ? Have given a boost to the animo, which is drawing more women into sport stores.

Sales in JD?S womenswear are soaring, having traditionally made up less than 30% of the chain?S sales compared with 60% for the whole UK clothing market.

Of course trends come and go, so there is some debate whether JD?S mini -boom will drop off once young people move on to something new. Cowgill argues: ?We can never predict the future but I don?T think it?S a demam isu. I think it?S a culture, a lifestyle situation. Not long ago you couldn?T go into a bar with trainers on: now it is more acceptable.?

And it?S not only bars. Sales of trainers are rising around the world as casualwear becomes the norm in offices as well as at social events.

Richard Hyman, the veteran independent retail analyst, says: ?Trainers have become shoes and the key beneficiary has not been traditional footwear retailers or apparel retailers with footwear departments. This market is highly branded, whereas mainstream fashion is very own-label. People want the credibility of a brand and JD has built a business on that.?

Of course, Sports Direct has also benefited from that ekspresi dominan, but to a lesser extent, as JD has a much stronger relationships with the key brands. This gives it access to more exclusive products, and launches of sought-after new designs.

Cowgill says fostering those relationships through investment in the look and ambience of stores has been key to keeping such brands on board.

Kate Calvert, an analyst at JD?S house broker Investec, says: ?Sports Direct has had quite a turbulent time with the two major suppliers, Nike and Adidas ? They?Re always falling in and out of love with each other.? In that environment, JD has been able to get access to premium products at premium prices, insulating it from some of the wider market deflation.

Sports Direct has cottoned on to this and is trying to woo the brands back with investment in stores, alongside efforts to tackle the employment and governance practices that have drawn so much bad publicity. Fiona Paton, an analyst at Verdict Retail, says: ?[JD] has benefited from Sports Direct?S mass of bad publicity and the distractions that has caused its senior management.

?However, this will not go on indefinitely, and Sports Direct has announced plans to target more premium brands with investment in its Flannels fascia, so JD Sports is likely to face tougher competition in the near future.?

Cowgill counters: ?All our competitors worry us. We?Ve got to keep an eye on various parts of the market.? He adds with a smile about Sports Direct: ?It remains to be seen if they get their act together. We try to avoid being in direct competition. We see the market as huge enough for the two of us.?

That market increasingly includes Europe, where JD is expanding its main chain in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and, most recently, Portugal. It also owns Sprinter in Spain, Chausport in France and has taken its trendy Size? Footwear chain into five countries over the channel. Further afield, it has bought outlets in Malaysia and Australia. Revenues are up 38% in Europe and 14% elsewhere, although the profitability of these operations is not yet clear.

Last week, Cowgill was in a bullish mood. ?We never rest on our laurels and we are gutted if there?S even a day when our numbers are negative. We drive as hard as we possibly can.? It could be a speech from a professional sportsman.

Bake Off shows how TV’s indies have learned the art of the deal

The (former) Great British Bake Off team: Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc. Photograph: Love Productions/BBC

London (Telephost) - Television programmes have been switching channels for years – from Men Behaving Badly to Big Brother, University Challenge to The Voice. Yet none have met with quite such an outcry as the poaching of The Great British Bake Off from the BBC.

After all, it’s not every day that the UK’s favourite TV show switches channels. GBBO’s maker, Love Productions, has been pilloried in parts of the press, especially since it did the Channel 4 deal without securing the show’s current presenters, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, or judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

The company turned down an offer of £15m a year from the corporation – and higher bids from ITV and Netflix – to take the hit baking show to Channel 4 for around £25m a year.

However, beyond the brouhaha about whether Love Productions was right to take a hit that had been nurtured by the BBC to a rival, does the headline-grabbing move also signal a shift in the balance of power between broadcasters and producers?

New terms of trade introduced more than a decade ago, which allowed producers to hold on to more of the intellectual property rights to their programmes and gain a greater share of revenues from overseas sales and merchandising, helped tilt the balance away from broadcasters. This has also been a factor in the UK production sector’s growth, with revenues up from £2.2bn annually seven years ago to £3bn.

The other key change in the sector has been consolidation of ownership, with many of the more successful UK independent producers bought by bigger companies or merging to create so-called “super-indies” – providing access to international distribution networks, more investment to develop ideas, and, in theory, more muscle in dealings with broadcasters.

Love Productions, founded by husband and wife Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie in 2004, is now 70% owned by Sky.

Media analyst Claire Enders explains: “The overall long progression over the last 25 years, through a number of phases, into a flourishing production sector has created extraordinarily viable businesses that can actually get an extraordinary change of deal for a programme; an extra £10m a year is an awful lot more.

“The power has moved to the super-indies and they are in a position to call the shots and extract deals that would be unimaginable five years ago, let alone 10. That’s also because the BBC’s commissioning structure was fundamentally changed, and is continuing to change, in favour of independents.”

Enders thinks Love “made a completely commercial decision, which was totally the right decision”, as did the BBC in not topping C4’s offer, as its enemies would have had “a field day”.

The BBC wants to be more than just an incubator of shows for other broadcasters and plans to create more of its own intellectual property. It has set up a new, soon-to-be-commercial production arm, BBC Studios, which was created in large part to stem the brain drain of producers to the independent sector.

However, in exchange for allowing BBC Studios to make shows for rival broadcasters, the government says even more of the corporation’s shows now have to be put out to tender. On Wednesday, around 300 independent producers will meet at the BBC in London to find out how many more of the corporation’s commissions they will be able to bid for.

Pernyataan Orang Terkaya RI Soal Kabinet Baru Jokowi

Michael Bambang Hartono

Jakarta - Orang terkaya di Indonesia, Michael Bambang Hartono menanggapi soal komposisi Kabinet Indonesia Maju yang dibentuk oleh Presiden Joko Widodo beberapa hari lalu.

Saat ditemui oleh CNBC Indonesia di DPP IKA UNDIP, Kamis (24/10) malam, pengusaha kelahiran 2 Oktober 1939 ini mengenakan pakaian yg sederhana dengan kemeja putih & jaket hitam menggunakan bordiran bendera merah putih pada kanan dada, & bordiran tulisan Djarum Bridge Club pada dada kiri.

Walaupun sudah berusia 80 tahun, Hartono masih terlihat segar dan bersemangat menjawab pertanyaan dari CNBC Indonesia, apalagi mengenai susunan kabinet terkini ini. Berikut merupakan sebagian cuplikannya.

Pak, bagaimana tanggapan Bapak soal kabinet baru Indonesia Maju?

Bagus sekali. Pilihannya indah, ya walaupun terdapat pilihan yg kurang rupawan akan tetapi dalam dasarnya very good.

Lalu apa harapan Bapak mengenai kabinet ini?

Jadi gini, ini ekonomi dunia kan sedang gonjang-ganjing, nir ada kepastian. Apalagi ada trade war antara Amerika Serikat dan China. Jadi kepastiannya belum terdapat, dan dari aku ke 2 negara ini tidak akan mundur. Amerika yang memulai, China tidak terdapat mundur & akan tetap melawan.

Tapi bagaimana caranya kita, Indonesia, bisa membentuk laba dari situ. Mencari celah berdasarkan situ.

Dari hal itu, adakah saran apa yang harus dibenahi oleh kabinet baru ini?

Pemerintah kita harus business friendly, jangan seperti sekarang. Very unfriendly.

Coba Anda pikir, sebanyak 33 perusahaan menurut China, pindah ke Asia Tenggara. Tapi tidak terdapat satupun yang ke Indonesia. Semuanya ke Vietnam, Kambodia, Myanmar. Why?

Lantaran regulasinya lebih gampang?

Nah! Why? Coba Anda pikir. Kenapa kok tidak ke Indonesia. Karena kita memusuhi mereka. Very unfriendly. Tidak China saja, berdasarkan seluruh negara nir ke Indonesia. Why?

Ini yg seharusnya jadi pekerjaan rumah pemerintah ketika ini. Why? Kenapa perilaku berdasarkan government kita itu tidak business friendly. (Menurut logika mereka) jika kita bisa bikin susah, kenapa wajib dibuat mudah.

Wih, RI Punya 42 Proyek Migas Senilai Rp 600 T

Ilustrasi SKK Migas.

Jakarta - Satuan Kerja Khusus Pelaksana Kegiatan Usaha Hulu Minyak dan Gas Bumi (SKK Migas) memperkirakan investasi hulu migas ke depan akan terus berkembang.

Pasalnya hingga tahun 2027 terdapat 42 proyek primer dengan total investasi US$ 43,3 miliar dan proyeksi pendapatan kotor sebesar US$ 20 miliar

Kepala SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto berkata total produksi menurut 42 proyek tadi akan membuat 1,1 juta barel setara minyak per hari (BOEPD), yang mencakup produksi minyak sebesar 92,1 ribu barel per hari (BOPD) & gas sebanyak 6,1 miliar kaki kubik per hari. Empat di antaranya adalah proyek strategis nasional (PSN) hulu migas.

"Prioritas buat menaikkan produksi migas demi memenuhi konsumsi migas domestik yg semakin semakin tinggi," ujarnya di tempat kerja SKK Migas, Kamis (23/10/2019).

Peningkatan kapasitas nasional bukan hanya menggunakan mendukung kebutuhan tenaga, namun juga dengan melakukan efisiensi porto & imbas berganda atau multiplier effect yg mampu mendukung perekonomian wilayah & nasional. Tingkat komponen pada negeri (TKDN) industri hulu Migas hingga awal Oktober 2019 mencapai angka 55 persen menurut sasaran 50 persen di tahun 2019.

Sementara itu, demi mengejar produksi 1 juta barel per hari (bopd) tahun 2030, SKK Migas menerapkan empat strategi jangka panjang. Pertama, mengedepankan strategi eksplorasi yang masih dan intensif. Kedua,mendorong dan mengkampanyekan penerapan enhanced oil recovery (EOR) pada lapangan mature.

Ketiga, mengakselerasi monetisasi proyek-proyek primer, sebagai akibatnya meningkatkan kecepatan potensi sumber daya sebagai lifting. Terakhir, menunda penurunan produksi alami dan mendorong peningkatan produksi.

Jeff Bezos Bukan Lagi Orang Terkaya di Dunia?

CEO Amazon Jeff Bezos

Jakarta - Pendiri dan CEO Amazon Jeff Bezos dikabarkan sempat tidak lagi menjadi orang terkaya di dunia. Namun hal itu hanya terjadi sehari saja.

Pasalnya, dia kehilangan US$ 6,9 miliar atau sekitar Rp 97 triliun (estimasi kurs Rp 14.000/dolar) dalam semalam. Kerugian itu dialaminya dampak harga saham Amazon anjlok sebesar 9% dalam perdagangan after hours setelah perusahaan melaporkan keuntungan kuartal ketiga yang dinilai mengecewakan sang para investor, Kamis kemarin.

Pada pukul 18:00 ketika setempat, harga saham tercatat turun 6,6%, atau diperdagangkan US$ 118 per saham. Bezos memiliki 57.610.359 saham Amazon, dari pengarsipan modern Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Apabila penurunan harga saham Amazon berlanjut seperti itu, Bezos terancam kehilangan gelar sebagai orang terkaya di dunia & digantikan oleh co-founder Microsoft Bill Gates, berdasarkan Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Tetapi sayangnya, penurunan posisi itu hanya terjadi sehari. Jumat (25/20/1019), Bezos dikabarkan berhasil pulang menduduki tahta menjadi orang terkaya pada global.

Pada Jumat, meskipun masih turun, saham Amazon nir serontok sehari sebelumnya. Turunnya saham Amazon hingga 1% ke US$ 1,760,78 menciptakan kekayaan Bezos berada pada kisaran US$ 109,9 miliar.

Ia pun kembali menjadi orang terkaya di global. Sementara 'rivalnya' Bill Gates hanya mempunyai kekayaan sebesar US$ 105,8 miliar.

Grup Bakrie Tinggal Hitung Hari untuk Menambang Emas di Palu

PT Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk (BRMS) Citra Palu, Palu

Jakarta - PT Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk (BRMS) milik Grup Bakrie akan mulai melakukan produksi di tambang emas Poboya yang berlokasi di Palu, Sulawesi Tengah pada bulan Desember mendatang.

Pada tahun pertama, perusahaan menargetkan buat memproduksi sampai 100 ribu ton bijih emas. Di tahun selanjutnya, yaitu dalam 2021, produksi akan dinaikkan menjadi 180.000 ton bijih emas per tahun.

Demikian disampaikan Direktur & Investor Relations PT Bumi Resources Minerals, Herwin Wahyu Hidayat dalam Closing Bell, CNBC Indonesia, Jum'at (22/10/2019).

"Jadi karena memang ini baru produksi awal yang kita sebut sebagai trial production, ini di akhir Desember 2019, mungkin lebih aman kita anggap itu mulai berproduksi di Januari 2020." Lanjutnya.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Herwin menjelaskan bahwa tambang Poboya hampir 100% dimiliki Grup Bakrie.

Selain tambang emas Poboya, Herwin juga mengatakan saat ini perusahaan sedang berfokus pada dua tambang lainnya.

Pertama yaitu tambang Gorontalo yang 80%-nya dimiliki Bakrie Group, sementara 20% sisanya dimiliki oleh PT Aneka Tambang (Antam). Terakhir yaitu tambang seng dan timah hitam Dairi Prima Mineral yang ada di Sumatera Utara. Sebanyak 49%-nya merupakan milik Bakrie Group, sementara sisanya dimiliki perusahaan BUMN China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (NFC).

"Jadi kebetulan nih kita memiliki tiga project utama BRMS, yang pertama itu di Palu. Lokasi tambangnya yang akan mulai produksi itu di Poboya. Itu kita memiliki hampir 100% kepemilikan di situ. Itu adalah tambang emas, khususnya." jelasnya.

5 Cara Cerdas Orang Kaya Menabung yang Bisa Kamu Tiru

Ilustrasi menabung bersama pasangan/copyright shutterstock

Hampir setiap orang senang memiliki banyak harta. Menjadi kaya memang telah lama menjadi tujuan karier atau bisnis banyak orang pada dunia.

Sayangnya, meski sudah terdapat orang kaya yg sanggup sebagai model, tetapi sporadis sekali orang kebanyakan meniru cara orang kaya tadi menambah tabungannya. Tak hanya menambah tabungan, orang kaya ternyata selalu bekerja keras demi menaikkan pendapatannya.

Jadi, apabila ingin kaya raya, pastikan Anda mengikuti jejak-jejak mereka yang telah lebih dulu sukses secara finansial. Berikut 5 cara orang kaya menabung uangnya misalnya dihimpun Lifehack.Org:

1. Hati-hati menggunakan pengeluaran mini

Banyak orang yg selalu berhati-hati dalam berinvestasi atau melakukan pembelian pada jumlah akbar. Sayangnya, banyak orang yg justru ceroboh buat pengeluaran kecil. Orang kaya biasanya selalu mempertimbangkan banyak hal sebelum menetapkan buat mengeluarkan dana.

2. Jangan beli barang tidak penting buat pamer

Meskipun Anda bahagia dipuji oleh sahabat dan kerabat dekat, tetap saja terdapat batasan yang tak boleh dilampaui. Seringkali, banyak orang membeli barang hanya untuk mendapatkan pujian semata.

Meski banyak uang, orang kaya jarang membeli barang yg tidak dibutuhkannya hanya buat membuat kagum orang-orang pada sekitar. Mereka tak pernah membeli barang yang tidak disukainya hanya buat pamer.

Tiga. Sisihkan pendapatan pada jumlah besar

Lagi-lagi, orang kaya dianggap sering menghabiskan uang secara berlebihan waktu berbelanja. Realitasnya, mereka sangat berhati-hati dalam mengeluarkan uang dan menyisihkan sebagian akbar pendapatannya buat investasi atau menabung.

Tidak seperti persepsi kebanyakan orang bahwa orang-orang kaya hanya bersenang-bahagia saja. Faktanya, orang kaya bekerja lebih keras dibandingkan orang biasa.

4. Bekerja keras

Jadi cobalah tingkatkan pendapatan Anda menggunakan bekerja lebih keras lagi. Dengan begitu, Anda akan mendatangkan lebih poly peluang karir dan bisnis yang berguna meningkatkan pendapatan pribadi.

Artinya, Anda lebih baik mengikuti jejak orang kaya dengan menabung dalam jumlah lebih akbar. Setidaknya sepertiga menurut pendapatan setiap bulan.

5. Beli barang yang diharapkan

Orang kaya tidak pernah mau mengeluarkan uang buat aneka macam hal yg bukan kebutuhannya. Kalangan miliarder bahkan selalu hati-hati menggunakan banyak sekali biaya yg harus dimuntahkan.Jangan menyimpan apa yang tersisa menurut pengeluaran. Tapi lakukanlah pengeluaran berdasarkan sisa berdasarkan pendapatan yg telah menabung

Posisi Indonesia Meroket 15 Peringkat Terkait Indeks Kemerdekaan Ekonomi

The Heritage Foundation

Jakarta - Posisi Indonesia melesat sampai 15 peringkat terkait Indeks Kemerdekaan Ekonomi (Index of Economic Freedom) yg dikeluarkan The Heritage Foundation.

Melesatnya peringkat Indonesia berkat faktor seperti anggaran hukum yg semakin baik & efisiensi regulasi.

The Heritage Foundation adalah sebuah think thank yg berkantor pada Washington DC, Amerika Serikat (AS). Heritage menyebut kemerdekaan ekonomi merupakan hak fundamental bagi setiap insan.

Dalam negara yang merdeka secara ekonomi, orang-orang bebas bekerja, menghasilkan, mengkonsumsi, investasi, pada cara yang mereka kehendaki. Negara-negara maju umumnya memiliki skor tinggi pada daftar ini. Nilai Indonesia tercatat di atas homogen-homogen regional dan global.

Indonesia tahun ini berada di posisi 69 dengan skor 64,2. Ini naik 15 peringkat dari peringkat sebelumnya, yakni 84. Bahkan, dalam 2015 saja Indonesia belum masuk 100 akbar.

Langkah pemerintah pada menaikkan infrastruktur buat menarik investor disorot dalam indeks ini. Begitu jua perkara korupsi yang gencar diburu, serta regulasi yg ditingkatkan.

Kekurangan Indonesia dianggap pasar energi kerja yg belum fleksibel, proteksionisme pada beberapa sektor, subsidi ke banyak perusahaan BUMN, & pengurusan keuangan publik yg buruk.

Indonesia tercatat naik peringkat dalam efisiensi regulator: kemerdekaan bisnis, energi kerja, dan monoter. Langkah pemerintah buat menaikkan upah minimum & mengurangi subsidi listrik untuk program yang lebih krusial jua menerima nilai positif.

Pada aturan hukum, Indonesia mendapat nilai hijau di hak properti dan keefektivan yudisial. Hanya saja, korupsi masih sebagai perkara pada pemerintahan.

Pada 10 akbar negara di Indeks Kemerdekaan Ekonomi, negara tetangga Singapura menerima peringkat tinggi. Begitu pun Hong Kong dan tetangga selatan misalnya Australia, dan Selandia Baru.

Di dunia Arab, Uni Emirat Arab mendapat peringkat terbaik, sementara Swiss menerima peringkat terbaik di Benua Biru. Untuk 3 peringkat terbawah adalah Kuba, Venezuela, dan terakhir Korea Utara.

Berikut daftarnya:

1. Hong Kong

dua. Singapura

3. Selandia Baru

4. Swiss

5. Australia

6. Irlandia

7. Estonia

8. Inggris Raya

9. Kanada

10. Uni Emirat Arab

Hai Aramco! Erick Thohir Mau Kepastian Kilang Cilacap Tahun Ini

Menteri BUMN Erick Thohir

Jakarta - Megaproyek pengembangan kilang Cilacap yang sudah mangkrak selama 5 tahun, bakal dipastikan nasibnya tahun ini.

Menteri Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) Erick Thohir menegaskan keliru satu fokusnya adalah buat percepatan proyek kilang, dan yg akan sebagai sorotan buat saat ini adalah proyek RDMP Kilang Cilacap yang kesepakatannya sudah terbangun antara PT Pertamina (Persero) & Saudi Aramco sejak 2014 kemudian.

"Kami upayakan tahun ini jikalau sanggup sudah terdapat kesepakatan agreementnya, ini yg sedang kami push," istilah Erick, saat dijumpai usai rapat di Gedung Kemenko Maritim dan Investasi, Selasa (29/10/2019).

Ia bahkan telah bertemu dengan Menteri ESDM Arifin Tasrif buat membahas proyek ini & meminta kementerian buat mendukung supaya segera terdapat jalan keluar.

Sampai ketika ini, Aramco dan Pertamina masih mentok membahas soal valuasi nilai proyek. Perjanjian buat memperpanjang waktu evaluasi ini jua sudah bolak-kembali dilakukan kedua pihak, terakhir batasnya merupakan 31 Oktober ini.

Jika masih tidak ada titik temu, Erick menekankan buat mencoba cari cara lain . Meskipun ia menyadari ini merupakan pembicaraan spesifik dua pihak tadi yakni Pertamina & Saudi Aramco. Selama kedua pihak setuju, maka perubahan strategi pula belum diharapkan buat pembangunan kilang.

Tapi, Erick bakal menunggu sampai akhir tahun ini. "Sampai Desember kami lihat, putusan bulat atau tidak? Jikalau tidak kami cari cara lain lain"

Berkah Perang Dagang AS-China, Ikan Asal RI Laris Manis

Ilustrasi. (Istockphoto/Dilok Klaisataporn)

Jakarta - Perang dagang antara Amerika Serikat (AS) dengan China dinilai membawa keuntungan bagi bisnis produk perikanan di Indonesia. Permintaan komoditas laut yang semula masuk ke pasar Amerika Serikat (AS) tak lagi diminati, dan tergantikan oleh komoditas asal Indonesia.

Dikutip dari Antara, platform dagang perikanan via daring (online) Aruna menyebut telah kebanjiran permintaan menurut Korea Selatan (Korsel) karena imbas perang dagang tersebut. Aruna menyebut produk yg paling poly dicari merupakan kepiting dan lobster.

Selain Korea Selatan, Aruna juga menerima permintaan menurut China & beberapa negara Asia Tenggara seperti Thailand & Vietnam.

"Dampak perang dagang itu berpengaruh terhadap permintaan produk perikanan. Jadi, kalau ditinjau, beberapa produk perikanan yg umumnya didapat pada AS, kini mengarah ke Indonesia terutama pasokan untuk China," ujar CEO Aruna Farid Naufal Aslam misalnya dikutip berdasarkan Antara, Kamis (31/10).

Menurut Farid, permintaan yg naik signifikan sekitar satu sampai dua tahun terakhir menciptakan pendapatan perusahaan melonjak hingga delapan kali lipat pada 2018 jika dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya.

Selain berdasarkan perang dagang, peningkatan permintaan tadi jua dipengaruhi sang kebijakan kelautan dan perikanan di Indonesia yg diperketat.

"Kapal asing kan nir boleh lagi melaut, nah itu pula berpengaruh sekali terhadap permintaan di Aruna, karena banyak negara yang kekurangan pasokan," ujar Farid.

Aruna saat ini sudah merangkul lima ribu nelayan buat ikut memasok kebutuhan produk perikanan di 15 titik wilayah Indonesia seperti Kalimantan Timur, Kalimantan Utara, Kalimantan Selatan, Papua Barat, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sumatera Barat, Aceh, & Sulawesi Tengah.

Farid menambahkan tahun ini Aruna menargetkan tambahan 15 titik berdasarkan Kalimantan, Sulawesi dan Papua.

Target tadi juga didukung menggunakan menerjunkan 20 local heroes atau tim yang turun pribadi untuk menjaga kualitas produk perikanan dan melakukan seleksi produk. Bahkan Farid berkata akan menambah jumlah tim tersebut sebagai 30.

"Lantaran ini kan produk ekspor, jadi wajib memenuhi beberapa kriteria yang seleksinya dilakukan sang local heroes," pungkas Farid.

Sumber : CNN Indonesia

Penjualan Huawei Meroket di China, Xiaomi dan Apple?

Ilustrasi SPG Huawei

Jakarta - Efek Amerika Serikat (AS) tampaknya tak berpengaruh pada pengiriman Huawei baik dari sisi jaringan maupun perangkat seluler di China.

Mengutip slashgear.com, berdasarkan laporan perusahaan analis pasar Canalys, angka pengiriman ponsel Huawei di China pada kuartal terakhir 2019 justru melejit. Bahkan bisa mengalahkan pengiriman ponsel Xiaomi dan Apple.

Meningkatnya pengiriman ponsel Huawei hingga mengalahkan kompetitor besar lainnya ini bahkan sudah terjadi sejak kuartal ketiga tahun ini. Pengiriman Huawei tercatat tumbuh sebanyak 66 persen yang membuatnya berhasil menguasai setengah dari pasar ponsel pintar Cina sebesar 42,4 persen.

Pengiriman Huawei ini berhasil mengalahkan perusahaan ponsel pintar asal Cina lainnya seperti Vivo, OPPO, dan Xiaomi. Bahkan pengiriman Samsung, yang kini tercatat sebagai pemimpin ponsel pintar global, juga semakin terkalahkan di Cina.

Fakta yang tak kalah menarik justru terjadi pada pengiriman perusahaan asal AS, yakni Apple di Cina. Tahun ini, pengiriman Iphone mengalami penurunan hingga 28 persen. Sementara iPhone hanya menguasai 5,2 persen pasar ponsel di China pada kuartal terakhir 2019.

Menariknya, 40 persen dari 5,1 juta pengiriman Apple sejak Juli hingga September 2019 hanya terdiri dari Iphone 11, yang hanya diluncurkan pada bulan September di China.

Canalys menyarankan agar Apple meningkatkan kualitas kamera pada iPhone untuk menarik pasar China terutama mengalahkan Huawei yang beberapa waktu belakangan semakin agresif melakukan kampanye pemasaran di tengah efek perang dagang China-AS.

Sumber: CNN Indonesia

Jokowi Pilih Suryo Utomo Jadi Dirjen Pajak Baru

Suryo Utomo. (ANTARA FOTO/Akbar Nugroho Gumay).

Jakarta - Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) menunjuk Suryo Utomo menjadi Direktur Jenderal (Dirjen) Pajak baru. Ia dilantik oleh Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati pada hari ini, Jumat (1/11).

Suryo menggantikan Robert Pakpahan yg memasuki masa purna tugas pada 31 Oktober 2019 kemudian. Pengangkatan Suryo menurut Keputusan Presiden (Kepres) Nomor 125 Tahun 2019 tertanggal 16 Oktober 2019

"Hari ini, Jumat (1/11), saya menteri keuangan resmi melantik saudara (Suryo) di jabatan yang baru di Kementerian Keuangan," ujar Sri Mulyani dalam acara peresmian pada Gedung Djuanda I Kementerian Keuangan.

Sri Mulyani meyakini Suryo bisa menjalankan tugasnya menggunakan baik di posisi baru.

Suryo bukanlah orang baru pada Kemenkeu. Sebelum dipilih sebagai dirjen pajak, beliau menjabat menjadi Staf Ahli Menteri Keuangan Bidang Kepatuhan Pajak sejak Juli 2015.

Dalam sumpahnya, Suryo berjanji akan menjalankan tugasnya menggunakan penuh tanggung jawab, menjunjung integritas serta menghindarkan diri dari perbuatan yang tercela

Sumber: CNN Indonesia