indonesie situation
citation far eastern economic review
REVIEW 200/INDONESIA
Top of the Poll
Most of the same Indonesian companies as last year dominate the REVIEW 200 list again
By Sadanand Dhume/JAKARTA
Issue cover-dated December 27, 2001 - January 3, 2002
INDONESIAN POLITICS may have had a roller-coaster year, but the same can't be said for the REVIEW 200. Of the top 10 companies this year, nine made the cut last year as well. The top five places remain unchanged. Taken together, they represent a truism about Indonesia's economy--when times are tough, stick to the basics.
In this case, the basics include Toyota minivans assembled by Astra International; noodles made by Indofood; clove cigarettes from Sampoerna, Gudang Garam and Djarum; telephone services by Indosat, Telkomsel and Satelindo; bottled tea from Sosro and television programming by SCTV.
Astra's continued reign at the top reflects its reputation for ethics and management skills, says Wilson Nababan, who heads Cisi Raya Utama, a credit-rating agency. A stable of strong brands also helps. Astra's Kijang minivans are ubiquitous on Indonesian roads. A string of glittering showrooms for imported BMWs also helps add lustre to the company's image.
Indofood, the world's largest manufacturer of instant noodles, continues to dominate Indonesia's vast market. The tobacco troika of Sampoerna, Gudang Garam and Djarum underscores Indonesian smokers' love affair with clove cigarettes, just as Sosro makes it, thanks to the success of its flagship brand of sweet bottled tea--teh botol.
Telecoms and television, islands of growth in an otherwise sluggish economy, round off the top 10 with Indosat, Telkomsel, Satelindo and SCTV. They dominate this year's new entries as well. Mobile telecoms service-provider Satelindo, state-owned giant Telkom and cable-television company Kabelvision make their debut, along with state-owned airline Garuda and Bank Negara Indonesia