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The Indonesian government recently indicated that the ban on the iPhone 16 could be lifted in “one to two weeks,” though the rationale behind this timeline has not been disclosed.
The country’s investment minister made a somewhat ambiguous and contradictory statement, suggesting that negotiations were progressing toward a resolution.
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Governments in populous nations are becoming increasingly astute, seeking reciprocal benefits for allowing Apple to enter their markets by demanding specific investments in return.
Initially, Indonesia called for a relatively modest investment from Apple—$109 million to establish a developer academy along with an additional $10 million for manufacturing. However, upon realizing that these targets were not fully met, the government escalated its demands significantly. It restricted sales of the iPhone 16 and requested a much larger investment.
While Apple initially proposed a $100 million investment, the government deemed this insufficient and requested a massive $1 billion manufacturing expenditure in the country. Reports emerged last month that Apple had consented to this requirement, which was expected to involve large-scale production of AirTags.
Strangely, the Indonesian government later rejected this arrangement, stating that only the manufacturing of actual iPhone components would be acceptable.
Prospects for Lifting the iPhone 16 Ban
Bloomberg recently reported on an interview with Indonesia’s investment minister, Rosan Roeslani, who expressed optimism about an imminent resolution to the ban.
“I am quite confident that this issue will be resolved very soon,” Roeslani stated during an interview with Bloomberg Television in Davos on Tuesday. “I hope we can find a solution within one or two weeks.”
“Their calculations seem to differ somewhat,” Roeslani mentioned, alluding to the local content requirements. “They are now working on finding an acceptable resolution, so I am hopeful that the discrepancies can be resolved to allow the iPhone 16 to be sold in Indonesia.”
It appears that both the Indonesian government and Apple are eager to resolve this matter, but the specifics of how this will be achieved remain unclear.
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