Crowds of job seekers throng a job fair on March 7, 2023 in Surabaya, East Java. Data from Statistics Indonesia show that open unemployment in the country was 4.82 percent of the 149.38 million-strong workforce in February 2024, down 0.63 percent compared with the same period last year.

The labor market dynamics and challenges for labor insurance

With more workers losing their jobs, BPJS’ potential revenue from contributions is threatened, and its capability to protect workers will decline.

5 months ago

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Indonesia has not surrendered sovereign rights in the North Natuna Sea

What Indonesia and China have agreed on is a common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims, which could mean a lot of things. ...

5 months ago

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The risks of bringing informal businesses into formal economy

The Prabowo administration's bold plan to tax the underground economy could backfire, exacerbating already existing challenges like corruption and poverty. ...

5 months ago

The Latest

Workers check on packages of battery cells at the Hyundai LG Indonesia (HLI) Green Power plant in Karawang, West Java, following its inauguration on July 3, 2024. The plant is Indonesia's first electric vehicle (EV) battery factory.

Academia

Regenerative manufacturing: Indonesia’s engine for economic growth

Strengthening the local ecosystem, mainly through special economic zones, will be crucial for attracting FDI and establishing a solid manufacturing base.

5 months ago

Selling illusions?: Hashim Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, special envoy to the President of Indonesia, delivers a statement during the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku on Nov. 12.

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From Gen Z to Hashim at COP29: Our future is not for sale

Indonesia continues building new captive-coal power plants, with capacity tripled in five years, while continuously lowering renewable energy targets.

5 months ago

Academia

Collaboration is strengthening cybersecurity defenses in Indonesia

Emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing will further complicate cybersecurity, heightening the need for vendors and partners to work together.

5 months ago

Caring for nature: Students of Palangka Raya University participate in a tree planting program in a peatland area in the Central Kalimantan capital of Palangka Raya on April 15, 2023.

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Healing our planet is now restoration, not just conservation

The rate of deforestation in Indonesia remains alarmingly high, with an estimated loss of 450,000 hectares each year over the past two decades

5 months ago

Crisis meeting: Delegates attend a session on Nov. 19, 2024 during the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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Philanthropy a catalyst for the funds needed to tackle climate crisis

Philanthropic organizations, through partnerships with civil society organizations, the private sector and government, can play a key role in facilitating the disbursement of climate finance to communities taking climate action.

5 months ago

Ceremonial breach: Indonesian Navy submarine Cakra-401 resurfaces in Jakarta Bay on Sept. 10, 2024, during an event to mark the 79th anniversary of the Navy.

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Naval ship acquisition in the face of modern warfare

The ability to address and achieve sea denial, sea control, and collaborative combat, should be considered a priority by the Navy.

5 months ago

Food matters: Farmers harvest corn on July 6, 2023, in Wambes village, Mannem district, Keerom regency, Papua. The village hosted the trial of the national food estate program, which was aimed at ensuring food security in the eastern part of the country.

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Preventing food security agenda from exacerbating climate crisis

Policies that focus solely on food production, without taking a holistic systems approach, will not be sufficient to mitigate the growing threat of hunger caused by climate change.

5 months ago

Attorney General's Office (AGO) officials set up money seized from the houses of former Supreme Court official Zarof Ricar ahead of a press briefing at AGO headquarters in Jakarta on Oct. 25, 2024.

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The visible and the marginalized: Examining our rule of law

Prabowo now faces a critical choice: to return to the roots of a rechtsstaat, or to continue with a regulatory state model that accommodates the interests of a broad political alliance.

5 months ago

Protecting young ones: Anti-tobacco activists encourage a shopkeeper in Peta Barat Cengkareng, West Jakarta, on March 17, 2021, to join the “Prevent Child Smokers” campaign by pledging not to sell cigarettes to children.

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Regulatory loopholes in tobacco promotion on social media

Without strict regulations, children and teenagers will continue to be the target of promotions that can encourage them to start smoking.

5 months ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

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Prabowo’s new approach to RI-China relations

The President’s recent move as regards Beijing's claims in the South China Sea through the Indonesia-China JDA shows that he is boldly forging a new pathway toward mutually beneficial bilateral development with the Asian superpower.

5 months ago

Precious liquid: A woman collects water from a well in Gunung Penawen village, Cilegon, Banten, on Sept. 8, 2024.

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Confronting the climate crisis: Water as a lever for climate action

Just as water is essential to supporting life, the water sector is key to climate efforts.

5 months ago

Several commuters wear mask upon getting off the train at Karet Station in Central Jakarta on Dec. 6, 2023. The Health Ministry urges people to wear face masks amid the rise of COVID-19 cases and the discovery of mycoplasma pneumonia in the city.

Academia

Chronic respiratory disease deserves global attention

Countries worldwide are increasingly recognizing the burden of COPD and incorporating it into their national health priorities.

5 months ago

Listening ear: An employee of Lapor Mas Wapres (Report to Brother Vice President) attends to a member of the public on Nov. 11, 2024, the day Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka launched the new complaints center at his offices in Central Jakarta.

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Is VP Gibran’s complaint desk initiative a panacea?

By establishing this new channel, the Vice President risks turning his office, designed to address national concerns, into a bureaucracy focused on local problems.

5 months ago

Nurturing children: Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani (right) talks about how to help local children develop during a dialogue with village heads and community figures on May 6, 2024 held at the East Java regency’s culture and tourism agency.

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Achieving national prosperity through behavioral insights and adaptive leadership

The World Bank reports that Indonesia ranks relatively low in legal enforcement, with prolonged judicial processes and weak contract enforcement.

5 months ago

A Rohingya immigrants try to evacuate their sick colleagues from a boat that experienced an engine failure in the waters of Padang Bakau Village, Labuhan Haji District, South Aceh, Aceh, on Sunday, October 20, 2024. A total of 151 Rohingya immigrants consisting of 59 children, 79 women and 13 adult men were on board the ship that was stranded in the waters of South Aceh, Aceh

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ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: Now and the road ahead

The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, a nonbinding instrument that was adopted in 2012, must be transformed into an actionable framework to meet today’s needs, and one pathway toward this is to empower the AICHR so it can protect human rights across the region.

5 months ago

United States President Joe Biden (right) meets with President Prabowo Subianto on Nov. 12, 2024, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. The two leaders met to discuss the strengthening of US-Indonesian cooperation.

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Prabowo needs US-model national security council

Prabowo, a former Army general and defense minister prior to becoming President, was using a security rather than diplomatic lens when he agreed to discuss joint development with China in the North Natuna Sea

5 months ago

Hot favorite: Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin performs during a concert at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Nov. 15, 2023. The Jakarta stop was part of the British band’s Music of the Spheres Tour 2023.

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Concerts, carbon and climate: How Indonesia's music boom might fuel the crisis

Indonesia's thriving music scene presents an opportunity for the country to take a lead in setting sustainability standards for major cultural events, including carbon emissions generated from air travel by both performers and attendees.

5 months ago

Democracy lesson: Students count voters during a general election training simulation at Karangpandang state senior high school in Karanganyar, Central Java, on Sept. 27, 2023.

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Big societal changes require big state interventions

We are in an era where charisma trumps reason-based discussions and people become hypnotized by social media.

5 months ago

Generational progress: Students gather to study in this undated handout photo. As students have increasingly begun to pursue entrepreneurship, more universities have created accelerator and incubator programs to support them.

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MIT's blueprint and Indonesia's cultural challenges to achieve the 2045 vision

Indonesia faces cultural barriers like short-term focus, hierarchical reliance and risk aversion that challenge direct model replication.

6 months ago

Foreign beachgoers carry surfboards on Aug. 3, 2024, while walking along the sandy shores of Kuta Beach, located along the southeastern tip of Bali.

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Bali as a ‘living mystery school’

The spirit of Bali, which intertwines traditional values and customary laws within a universal framework of harmony, will continue to draw visitors long seeking enlightenment in this troubled world.

6 months ago

Countering threats: Members of the police’s counterterrorism squad Densus 88 arrest a man identified as Dananjaya Erbening (second right) at his house in Bekasi, West Java, on Aug. 14, 2023. The squad also seized dozens of firearms.

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From insider to observer: Navigating the complex legacy of Jemaah Islamiyah

Radicalization is not abstract. It is woven into personal identities, relationships and the search for meaning.

6 months ago

Business day: Workers load and unload containers at Ahmad Yani seaport in Ternate, North Maluku, on Oct. 16, 2024.

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How a second Trump presidency will impact Indonesia’s economy

The possibility of heightened tariffs, a GSP review and a push toward US supply chain reshoring could disrupt trade relations, reduce investment and require Indonesia to adapt diplomatically and economically.

6 months ago

Managing state assets: (Left to right) State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, MIND ID CEO Hendi Prio Santoso, PT Freeport Indonesia CEO Tony Wenas, PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) CEO Nicolas Kanter and Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung pose for a photo during the gold purchase agreement signing between Antam and Freeport Indonesia on November 7 in Jakarta.

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Danantara, a blueprint for independence, strategy and growth

A law that enshrines Danantara’s independence is essential, mandating transparency and accountability while preventing external pressures from dictating its investment decisions.

6 months ago

Chinese-style mosque: Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque in Seberang Ulu I district, Palembang, South Sumatra, retains Chinese architectural influences.

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Restoring the habit of dialogue, reinforcing inclusive principles

Indonesia sees merit in dialogue and appreciates any chance to have meaningful conversations on what the world is dealing with right now.

6 months ago

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk gestures as Republican presidential nominee and former United States president Donald Trump looks on during a campaign rally on Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of an assassination attempt on Trump in July.

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Understanding Trump in the MAGA 2.0

Trump's stunning comeback on Nov. 5 has left many people and governments wondering what can be expected from his second White House stint, especially given all his talk of tariffs during his campaign, but there are indications of a potentially more tempered term.

6 months ago

Fueling up: Students eat free meals on Nov. 12, 2024 during a school lunch program organized by the naval command in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

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No such thing as a free lunch? Indonesia’s plans may prove critics wrong

Prabowo's signature free meals program presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide a package deal that combines the highly popular program with the highly unpopular, but necessary, energy subsidy reforms through a political economy approach.

6 months ago

Back to school: Pupils arrive at Eestinkallio elementary school in the Finnish city of Espoo on May 14, 2020, the day it reopened after gradual easing of the COVID-19 school lockdown policy.

Academia

School meals in Finland: Investment for a happier future

Finland, as the first country in the world to provide free meals to students at schools nationwide, is ready to share its knowledge and experience in cooperation with Indonesia as the two countries celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations.

6 months ago

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