(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia plans to introduce short-selling in the second quarter this year, to increase options for investors at a time when the benchmark exchange sits just above bear-market levels.

The local stock exchange, known as IDX, will allow domestic retail investors to short-sell 10 stocks including PT Bank Central Asia and PT Telkom Indonesia, said IDX development director Jeffrey Hendrik on Tuesday. More stocks and investor types will be included over the year, he added.

“During bearish markets, our investors would have no choice but to wait until stocks bottom before they can make purchases in the hopes that shares will rise, and then sell them,” Hendrik said. “The aim of launching this product is to provide investors with the opportunity to optimize their profitability in very dynamic market conditions.”

The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index has fallen over 16% from a record high in September, approaching a technical bear market. Negative sentiment from global trade tensions, flat economic growth and President Prabowo Subianto’s big ticket spending plans have all weighed on the gauge.

READ: Indonesia’s Stock Benchmark Tumbles to Lowest Level Since 2021