Happy New Year! – Our Best Of 2019

Happy New Year! - Our Best Of 2019
Komodo sunset by bikes on Pixabay.

We’re leaving 2019 and the twenty-teens and marching into a new decade. And what a year it’s been!

We’ve had national and local elections, ground-breaking changes to laws, rules and regulations geared to making investment easier, lots of initiatives around going green including banning single-use plastics, international sporting events and awards, tremendous steps forward in technology, developing news on infrastructure, a new airport in North Bali, property investment opportunities and growth in Lombok and Flores.

We hope we’ve managed to keep you informed with property news, tourism trends, changes to rules and regulations and some general insights into investing in Bali and we’d like to thank all of you for supporting us in 2019.

And with that, we’d like to share our pick of this year’s most popular blogs. There are seven of them, of course!

Top 7-most read articles on Seven Stones Indonesia published in 2019:

Spectacular sunsets over rice fields in Canggu. Image by Catriona Ward on Flickr.
Spectacular sunsets over rice fields in Canggu. Image by Catriona Ward on Flickr.

#7 – Canggu is ground zero for investors and digital nomads

Canggu, on Bali’s popular west coast, is attracting more investors than ever before keen to tap into opportunities created by being one of the best digital nomad spaces in the world. Read more here …

Bromo Image by Sapto Cahyono on Pixabay
East Java’s Mount Bromo. Image by Sapto Cahyono on Pixabay

#6 – Indonesia awarded best country in the world to visit

Indonesia takes #1 spot for the best country in the world to visit in the latest Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for 2019. Read more here …

Mornings in Canggu - Image by Andy Barski
Mornings in Canggu – Image by Andy Barski

#5 – Is Canggu worth investing in?

I moved to Canggu in 2004.  I stayed in a small villa complex in Padang Linjong.  In those days there wasn’t even a warung in the street, and the only place where we could find anything was down at Echo Beach, which in those days was indeed “far away in time.” Read more here …

Image by Sammy Williams on Unsplash.

#4 – What could possibly go wrong?

The last few blogs and articles we’ve published have been around regulations, due diligence and road maps. There are good reasons for this. Read more here …

Presiden Joko Widodo’s Facebook page
Image from Presiden Joko Widodo’s Facebook page

#3 – Indonesia’s Golden Age and Jokowi’s election victory

This has been an historic week for Indonesia with the country going to the polls on April 17 and while the official results will not be announced until May 22 by KPU (Komisi Pemilihan Umum – the state institution that holds and organizes the elections), all quick counts, by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Cyrus Network show Jokowi winning. Read more here …

Nomad Photo by Artem Bali from Pexels
Nomad Photo by Artem Bali from Pexels

# 2 – Bali’s property market in 2019 and beyond

I’ve written before about where we think Bali’s property market is heading over the last couple of years. Now it’s time to re-visit and look at what 2019 and beyond have in store. Read more here …

Komodo Airport operated by Changi International
Stunning Komodo sunset. Image by Bikes on Pixabay

# 1 – Changi International to operate Komodo Airport

On a Boxing Day announcement, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Samadi told the Press a consortium, which includes a Jakarta listed airport service firm PT Cardig Aero Services and Singapore’s Changi Airports International Pte Ltd. have been awarded a 25-year concession to operate Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo. Read more here …

Happy New Year!

#happynewyear #2020 #sevenstones #sevenstonesindonesia #investindonesia

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Andrzej Barski

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Andrzej is Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia. He was born in the UK to Polish parents and has been living in Indonesia for more than 33-years. He is a skilled writer, trainer and marketer with a deep understanding of Indonesia and its many cultures after spending many years travelling across the archipelago from North Sumatra to Irian Jaya.

His experience covers Marketing, Branding, Advertising, Publishing, Real Estate and Training for 5-Star Hotels and Resorts in Bali and Jakarta, which has given him a passion for the customer experience. He’s a published author and a regular contributor to local and regional publications. His interests include conservation, eco-conscious initiatives, spirituality and motorcycles. Andrzej speaks English and Indonesian.

Terje H. Nilsen

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Terje is from Norway and has been living in Indonesia for over 20-years. He first came to Indonesia as a child and after earning his degree in Business Administration from the University of Agder in Norway, he moved to Indonesia in 1993, where he has worked in leading positions in education and the fitness/ wellness industries all over Indonesia including Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Medan and Bali.

He was Co-owner and CEO of the Paradise Property Group for 10-years and led the company to great success. He is now Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia offering market entry services for foreign investors, legal advice, sourcing of investments and in particular real estate investments. He has a soft spot for eco-friendly and socially sustainable projects and investments, while his personal business strengths are in property law, tourism trends, macroeconomics, Indonesian government and regulations. His personal interests are in sport, adventure, history and spiritual experiences.

Terje’s leadership, drive and knowledge are recognised across many industries and his unrivalled network of high level contacts in government and business spans the globe. He believes you do good and do well but always in that order. Terje speaks English, Indonesian and Norwegian.

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Ridwan Jasin Zachrie

CFO of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Ridwan is one of Indonesia’s top executives with a long and illustrious career in the financial world. He holds several professional certifications including being a Certified Business Valuer (CBV) issued by the Australian Academy of Finance and Management; Broker-Dealer Representative (WPPE); and The Directorship Certification for Directors and Commissioners, issued by the Indonesian Institute of Commissioners and Directors.

His experience includes being the Managing Director at one of the top investment banking groups in the region, the Recapital Group, the CFO at State-owned enterprises in fishery industry and the CEO at Tanri Abeng & Son Holding. He’s also been an Independent Commissioner in several Financial Service companies and on the Audit and Risk Committee at Bank BTPN Tbk, Berau Coal Energy Tbk, Aetra Air Jakarta as well as working for Citibank, Bank Mandiri and HSBC. His last position was as CFO at PT Citra Putra Mandiri – OSO Group.

Ridwan has won a number of prestigious awards including the Best CFO Awards 2019 (Institute of Certified Management Accountant Australia-Indonesia); Asia Pacific Young Business Leader awarded by Asia 21 Network New York USA (Tokyo 2008); UK Alumni Business Awards 2008 awarded by the British Council; and The Most Inspiring Human Resources Practitioners’ version of Human Capital Magazine 2010.

He’s a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law, Trisakti University, Co-Founder of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute and actively writes books, publications and articles in the mass media. He co-authored “Korupsi Mengorupsi Indonesia” in 2009, which helps those with an interest in understanding governance in Indonesia and the critical issue of corruption. Ridwan speaks Indonesian and English.

Per Fredrik Ecker

Managing Director of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Per is the Managing Director of the Seven Stones Indonesia (SSI) Jakarta office and has more than 25-years’ experience in Indonesia, China, and Western Europe. He previously worked in senior management positions with Q-Free ASA, Siemens AG, and other companies in the telecom sector. Over the last six years, he has been the Chairman of the Indonesia-Norway Business Council (INBC) and recently become elected to be on the board of EuroCham Indonesia.

His most recent experience is within Intelligent Transport Solutions (ITS), Telecom, and other sectors within the Indonesian market. He is today through his position in SSI and by representing Norway Connect, promoting Nordic and European companies that would like to explore business opportunities in the Indonesian market. He’s also playing an active role to help create the Nordic House concept in Jakarta that will provide an excellent platform for Nordic companies entering Indonesia, where they’ll find a community that can offer support with trusted information and affordable services to enter this market.