Indonesia’s healthcare sector ripe for investments

Indonesia has emerged as an attractive healthcare market. The industry has surged by 300% since 2005, with national healthcare expenditure reaching USD26 billion in 2014. Recognizing the investment potential, the South East Asia (SEA) Hospital Expansion Summit 2015 gathered industry leaders and government officials to discuss opportunities and challenges in this sector.

Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Spire Research and Consulting group, was invited as a guest speaker at the South East Asia Hospital Expansion Summit 2015. In his presentation, Bahar gave a brief overview of Indonesia’s healthcare sector, focusing on investment prospects for private firms.

Bahar mentioned that in 2012, Indonesians spent around USD11.5 billion (yearly) for healthcare services abroad. Wealthy Indonesians still opt for medical treatment overseas to treat complicated conditions, preferring medical tourism destinations like India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

To promote a better distribution of hospitals across Indonesia’s many provinces and cities, the government has allowed a maximum of 67% foreign ownership for new investors. This, together with other liberalization measures, has excited the investor community.

Nonetheless, roadblocks remain. Low health expenditure (USD106.63), a shortage of doctors and medical professionals as well as an inequitable healthcare financing system – leading to unequal distribution of hospitals across geographic areas – continue to hold back the industry’s growth.

Bahar’s presentation deck on “Healthcare in Indonesia: Future Growth Opportunities” can be found here.

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/indonesias-healthcare-sector-ripe-for-investments/

Comments

Asian consumers embrace local brands

With growing regional integration and rising incomes, more Asian consumers are choosing Asian brands against foreign brands. Xiaomi, an Asian brand, outsold Apple in China in 2014 for the first time. Brunei based brand – Brunei Halal – recently opened stores in Malaysia targeting its Muslim population. The Indian government’s knowledge website initiative – known as Vikaspedia and offering content in 22 different local languages – is gaining ground. Taobao, Air Asia, Alipay, Huawei, Siam Cement, San Miguel, Tiger Beer and Indofood are other Asian brands that are on the march. They all hail from countries other than Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the traditional sources of Asian brands. Will more Asian brands take the leap to become global brands as the top Japanese and Korean brands have become? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/asian-consumers-embrace-local-brands/

India ranks among the world’s top compact SUV markets!

India overtook Japan in 2017 as the third largest manufacturer of compact SUVs. Big players such as Renault, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ford Motor, Hyundai Motor, Maruti Suzuki and other SUV manufacturers sold 457,698 compact SUVs in 2017 – over four times the unit sales in 2015, at 107,634. While 2016 saw shrinking sales for this vehicle category in China and the USA, sales in India grew nearly 50% from 307,365 units in 2016. Will India overtake China as the world’s largest compact SUV market? For more information, click here.

Egyptian-Israeli gas deal to boost bilateral trade

A USD15 billion deal has been announced between Israel and Egypt to export natural gas. Israel’s Delek Group has signed an agreement to supply 64 billion cubic meters of gas in a span of ten years to Egypt’s Dolphinus Holdings. The deal is considered a milestone ever since the 1979 peace accord, bringing Egypt a step closer to becoming a regional energy hub. However, the transportation of natural gas from Israel to Egypt is a challenge given the security risks. Will the Egypt-Israel gas export deal usher in a relationship of bonhomie and economic co-operation? For more information, click here .

Google’s Project Loon balloons to provide internet in India

Can a network of floating balloons offer internet services? It seems to be a scene right from a science-fiction movie. Tech giant Google has launched a network of balloons that travel 20 km above ground level to deliver signals using LTE technology making the internet available at 4G speeds even in rural areas. First launched in New Zealand in 2015, the balloons later made their way to Brazil, Australia and recently Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The Indian government is still apprehensive about this technology, in the face of claims that it could lead to technical glitches due to interference with cellular transmission. Nonetheless, the government is yet to come back with a conclusive response. Will balloons bring the internet to every square inch of the world’s second most populous country? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/googles-project-loon-balloons-to-provide-internet-in-india/

Spire joins AmCham Corporate Community Day for seventh consecutive year

Spire Singapore collaborated with the Singapore Children’s Society for the fourth consecutive year, in support of AmCham Singapore’s Corporate Community Day (CCD) 2014. This is the seventh year in which Spire has been participating in the CCD program, which aims to promote corporate volunteerism. Spire Singapore took beneficiaries of the Singapore Children’s Society to a pizza making session. The children were thrilled by their new-found ability to make their own edible creations. They enjoyed the morning while at the same time picking up a useful and confidence-building skill, not to mention many fun facts about the history of pizza. We were honored by the visit of Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy Blair Hall, who joined us with his wife Valerie. Valerie joined in the pizza making session. Blair and his team interacted with the beneficiaries as well as the staff and volunteers of Spire Singapore and the Singapore Children’s Society. The enthusiasm did not di...

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog