Fitch: No Rating Impact on Indonesian Energy Companies from Rupiah Depreciation

(28 August 2013) -- Fitch Ratings says the credit profiles of rated Indonesian energy and utilities companies, including thermal coal producers, will largely remain unaffected by a weakening of the Indonesian rupiah, which has depreciated by 10% between February and August 2013.

This is due to a high degree of USD-linked cash flows relative to the companies' USD-denominated liabilities and expenses, or strong linkages with and fiscal support from the state to entities that provide a public service obligation. Furthermore, many of the companies have limited near-term USD-denominated debt maturities.

PT Adaro Indonesia (BB+/Stable), PT Indika Energy Tbk (B+/Stable), and Star Energy Geothermal (B+/Stable) are insulated from the currency depreciation as their earnings are predominantly in USD. This provides a strong natural hedge to debt obligations, much of which are USD-denominated. Profit margins of thermal coal producers can benefit to an extent as some of their operating costs are rupiah-based.

The ratings of PT Pertamina Persero (Pertamina, BBB-/Stable) and PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN, BBB-/Stable) are not immediately affected as the ratings are equalised with that of the Republic of Indonesia (BBB-/Stable), owing to the strategic and operational importance of these entities to the state. Both PLN and Pertamina perform public service obligations, selling fuel and electricity below market prices for which they are compensated via a subsidy reimbursement mechanism. The weakened rupiah increases the operating costs of these two entities as raw materials - coal, gas and oil - will increase, resulting in a higher subsidy requirement from the government under the subsidy mechanism under which they operate. In the event the total subsidy requirement exceeds the approved annual budgetary allocation, Fitch believes the government will approve a higher budget to accommodate any additional amounts.

Given recent increases of certain petroleum products and the elections due in 2014, the prospect of further immediate electricity or fuel price increases may be limited. Both PLN and Pertamina have large capital expenditure requirements and the weakened rupiah will increase the outflow in local currency terms which will increase the financial leverage of these two entities than earlier forecast by Fitch. However, strong state support and ready access to funding markets underpin their liquidity profiles.

PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk's (BBB-/Stable) revenues and gas procurements costs are USD-denominated, rendering the impact of the rupiah depreciation neutral. Of its USD858m of debt, about 70% is denominated in JPY and 30% in USD. The company is in a net cash position and its rating is constrained by that of its majority shareholder, the Republic of Indonesia. (ends)