Recent Economy News: Economic Growth, Policy, and Trends

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Jakarta Post
Economy

Rethinking ferry tariffs to strengthen Indonesia’s connectivity

For many regions, ferries are not merely a transport option; they provide essential access to jobs, education, health care and markets. Ferry tariff policies must therefore do more than keep travel affordable. They must also ensure that operators can deliver reliable and safe services.

5 hours ago
Economy premium

Economy strong on paper, but people struggling

Two years into Prabowo Subianto’s presidency, the economy is showing respectable growth and contained inflation despite global pressure, but many Indonesians say they struggle to secure higher incomes or better jobs. ...

14 hours ago
Economy premium

Sugar refiners warn of shortage by early 2027, urge swift import permits

Procurement and shipping of raw sugar from supplier countries such as Brazil, Australia and Thailand typically take one to two months from the time an order is placed until the vessel arrives. ...

1 day ago

The Latest

Economy

El Niño-powered drought leaves West Kalimantan palm farmers high and dry as river recedes

For several weeks, local palm oil mills have cut their fresh fruit bunch purchases because storage tanks are filled with processed oil they cannot ship out as a prolonged drought driven by "super El Niño" conditions has dried out the area's main transportation artery, the Kapuas River.

1 day ago
Economy premium

Danantara’s transparency, mandate remain in question two years into Prabowo’s rule

Danantara claimed that it has submitted consolidated financial statements for 2025 to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in July but had yet to publish them, despite pledging to do so this month

1 day ago
Economy premium

Bahlil vows to replenish subsidized fuel supply within week

The coordinating downstream minister says the government is aiming to restore the supply of subsidized Pertalite fuel so it would cover 20 days of demand, up from 16-18 days at present, which he noted was "still adequate".

2 days ago
Economy

Leaders weigh 'huge benefit', risks of AI for global economy

The artificial intelligence boom has been a key driver of global growth, but also poses economic risks should investment in the technology falter, experts and policymakers said this week at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

2 days ago
Economy premium

Indonesia missing out on sports tourism boom as Mandalika extension in limbo

Indonesia is currently capturing only Rp 39.5 trillion, or 0.4 percent, of the estimated Rp 9.5 quadrillion in global sports tourism potential.

3 days ago
Economy

Indonesian exporters reach global markets at TEI 2026

The initiative is part of Indonesia Eximbank’s broader effort to support capacity building and market access for national businesses, particularly through the promotion of high-quality Indonesian products with export potential.

4 days ago
Economy premium

Job creation weakening despite industrial growth, Industry Minister says

The Industry Ministry has pointed to a potentially diverging trend between industrial growth and job creation as expansion leans heavily toward the technology sector.

4 days ago
Economy premium

Government taps MSME exports amid push into nontraditional markets

Speaking at TEI 2026, the trade minister unveiled an integrated plan for MSMEs to become the backbone of Indonesian exports as the country sought to expand into nontraditional markets across the globe.

5 days ago
Economy

US consumer inflation hotter than expected as midterms loom

The higher-than-expected inflation reading has raised the odds of a second straight interest rate hike at the US central bank's Oct. 27-28 policy meeting, although many expect the Federal Reserve to proceed cautiously.

5 days ago
Economy

On the cusp of change: creating waves in climate investment

Nadia Chiarina details her career journey, driven by her passion for lifelong learning and her courage to pursue new things, culminating in her discovery of her true calling. She is now leading an important work in investing and embedding climate considerations on an international level

6 days ago
Economy

Advanced economies must 'act now' to lower debt as bond yields spike: IMF

The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday called for advanced economies to "act now" to address ballooning debt, with spiking bond yields at multi-decade highs and pressure growing on central banks to hike interest rates.

6 days ago
Economy premium

8% GDP growth a tall order, says Nobel laureate

Nobel laureate James Robinson says President Prabowo Subianto’s goal of 8 percent gross domestic product growth is a tough ask but not impossible, if the right institutions are in the right place and head in the right direction.

6 days ago
Economy

Saudi Arabia faces economic contraction as war woes mount

Saudi Arabia's GDP is expected to shrink by 3.3 percent, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest World Economic Outlook report, predicting a regional drop over Iran's blockading of the Strait of Hormuz.

1 week ago
Economy

How Indonesia’s stainless, carbon steel fare amid global headwinds

Though still ranking third among Indonesia's export commodities by value, iron and steel products declined nearly 5 percent yoy in January-August 2026 due to both external and internal pressures.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Indonesia eyes discounted Saudi crude, senior minister says

Crude oil prices rose on Monday as attacks on Saudi Arabia heightened supply concerns, offsetting the prospect of more Russian energy reaching global markets after the US eased sanctions on its diesel exports.

1 week ago
Economy

Hall, Woodford win Nobel prize for work on how to stabilize economies

Woodford and Hall are frequently name-checked by the world's top central banks which, after a 2022 inflation surge in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, are currently grappling with the energy shock triggered by the Iran war.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Consumer sentiment, retail sales weaken amid cautious spending

Indonesian consumers remain broadly optimistic about future economic conditions despite dipping 0.4 points in September, BI has said in a note accompanying its latest survey.

1 week ago
Economy

China says can avoid 'escalation' after EU trade talks

China and the European Union can avoid "escalation" in various contentious disputes, Beijing said on Saturday, as worries of a damaging trade war simmer.

1 week ago
Economy

France, Germany lock horns over long-term EU budget

Daggers have been drawn over the European Union's next seven-year budget, with Germany and France at loggerheads over whether Brussels should make deep cuts in a battle increasingly expected to overshoot the end of the year.

1 week ago
Economy

Indonesia orders cost-cutting measures to keep fiscal deficit in check

In the circular letter, Suahasil ​Nazara ordered civil servants to prioritize online meetings and to halt any procurement of new ​vehicles, as well as the construction or renovation of official residences and buildings.

1 week ago
Economy

Investing in Indonesia’s future: Why five strategic sectors matter

From toll roads and data centers to geothermal energy, healthcare and battery materials, INA is putting long-term capital behind Indonesia’s future.

1 week ago
Economy

Deciphering Indonesia’s data center dilemma

Indonesia needs to carefully plan where data centers can be located and avoid excessive concentration, as more than 60 percent of the country’s data centers are concentrated in just two locations, Greater Jakarta and Batam.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Forex reserves inch down in September amid rupiah volatility

Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves have declined slightly as Bank Indonesia (BI) battles fresh bouts of rupiah volatility.

1 week ago
Economy

AI 'widening economic inequality', IMF boss warns

The global artificial intelligence boom is fast becoming the key driver of economies around the world, but the boom is risking wider global inequality by leaving some nations behind, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned on Wednesday.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Government to halt clearing forests, boost output from existing paddies

The President's climate and energy envoy told a sustainability forum on Monday that the country had achieved rice self-sufficiency three years earlier than planned, so no additional forests would be cleared to make way for paddies.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Indonesia could run out of nickel within a decade

Indonesia's nickel processing boom is outpacing its reserves, with experts warning of depletion within a decade and urging the government to shift from price support to policies that sustain ore longevity.

1 week ago
Economy

Indonesia’s bond market offers attractive yields, but risks remain

For Indonesia, a pause in US tightening could improve sentiment, but a sustained recovery would require confidence that inflation pressures and US interest rates are moving toward a more favorable path.

2 weeks ago

Today's ePost

Tue, October 20, 2026

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