Recent Economy News: Economic Growth, Policy, and Trends

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Jakarta Post
Economy premium

Indonesia, China eye cooperation to boost 3 million homes program

The cooperation has formed a working group that includes representatives from BP Tapera and is set to report its survey findings for potential development sites by the end of September.

19 hours ago
Economy

India's Modi and China's Xi push business links, border peace as ties revive

India and China's leaders pledged on Saturday to build up business and transport links, New Delhi said, as both rebuild ties badly damaged by a 2020 military clash on their disputed Himalayan border. ...

22 hours ago
Economy

Trump says he would be OK with China building cars in US

A regulation imposed by former President Joe ​Biden's administration in early 2025 effectively bans all Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the US. ...

1 day ago

The Latest

Economy premium

Budget can weather $100 crude amid renewed Iran tensions, govt says

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slipped to $104.77 a barrel on Friday after hitting $108 on Thursday, its highest level since May 19 and its biggest one-day jump in six weeks. 

2 days ago
Economy

India to push BRICS digital currency link

India is chairing BRICS this year, with leaders of the bloc set to meet in New Delhi on September 12 to 13. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed linking the countries' official digital currencies to facilitate cross-border trade, Reuters reported in January. 

2 days ago
Economy premium

Consumer confidence up as spending recovers slowly

Indonesian consumer confidence strengthened in August, buoyed by a more positive public assessment of the job market and household spending plans, though retail spending is recovering only slowly.

3 days ago
Economy premium

Volcanic eruptions take toll on economy

Indonesian authorities currently categorize six volcanoes as alert level 3, which signifies an increase in volcanic activity whereby eruptions may occur, just one step shy of the final level that describes a high likelihood of an imminent, substantially more dangerous eruption.

4 days ago
Economy premium

European businesses want ASEAN FTA despite bilateral trade progress

Indonesia was the second-most targeted ASEAN market for European business expansion, with 57 percent of respondents planning to expand operations there over the next five years, trailing behind Vietnam at 64 percent.

4 days ago
Economy

Oil prices climb as Mideast war flares

The yen strengthened towards the nearly seven-month high touched against the dollar on Tuesday as traders exited short positions in the Japanese currency amid expectations for faster Bank of Japan interest rate hikes and a potential rush of repatriation of Japanese capital.

4 days ago
Economy premium

Only a quarter of RI's daily waste properly managed, ministry says

Indonesia generates 144,562 tonnes of waste daily, but only a quarter is properly managed, leaving the vast majority to be dumped in unprocessed form, the Environment Ministry has said.

5 days ago
Economy

Batam economy grows 7.28%, outpacing national growth as investment drives expansion

Batam’s economic growth in Q2 2026 reinforces its position as a major industrial and investment hub in Indonesia, with manufacturing, trade, services and investment at the center.

5 days ago
Economy

China's trade booms as focus turns to expected Trump-Xi summit

After achieving a historic surplus in 2025, China's trade has continued to grow this year, thanks largely to heightened overseas demand for semiconductors, computing hardware and other products linked to the artificial intelligence boom.

5 days ago
Economy

Getting social assistance targeting right

Recent public complaints from households that have found themselves inadvertently misclassified is not a reason to abandon the data-driven DTSEN system, but an opportunity to refine it to improve targeting effectiveness.

5 days ago
Economy premium

Govt’s 3 million new jobs target next year deemed ‘ambitious’

Businesses urge the government to address structural issues that contribute to the high-cost economy, simplify business licensing and adopt more supportive policies for labor-intensive industries.

6 days ago
Economy premium

EV push gains traction as factories expand

The inauguration of BYD’s Subang plant comes as Indonesia raises the bar for local EV manufacturing, from 40 percent this year to 60 percent in 2027-2029 and 80 percent in 2030.

6 days ago
Economy

UAE builds alternative trade, energy routes after Iran attacks

The UAE, a critical economic lifeline for Iran, had suspended all financial and economic transactions with the Islamic Republic in August, citing military escalation by Tehran and missile threats.

6 days ago
Economy

The round trip under BRI: how Indonesia and Hong Kong now grow off each other

As Indonesian enterprises reach through Hong Kong into the Greater Bay Area and beyond, and Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises venturing out to Indonesia and the wider ASEAN, two-way merchandise trade reached close to US$6 billion in 2025, split evenly at approximately US$3 billion each.

6 days ago
Economy premium

El Niño-driven river levels drop hampers coal barging from Kalimantan

Commodity price intelligence provider Argus in August revealed that parts of the upper reaches of the Barito River have become completely unnavigable, with some mining companies in the area already declaring force majeure on shipments.

6 days ago
Economy

Job growth but record-high diesel prices – Trump's midterms mixed bag

Fresh economic data brought United States President Donald Trump's Republican Party good and bad news ahead of midterm elections, with the labor market showing strong growth but record-high diesel prices likely to further fuel inflation.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Indonesia, Russia ink fertilizer investment deal

Investment and Downstreaming Minister Rosan Roeslani confirmed that state-owned PT Pupuk Indonesia is exploring a significant investment in a urea fertilizer plant in Vladivostok.

1 week ago
Economy premium

New BI governor puts stability as top agenda

Destry was inaugurated on Sept. 2, alongside newly appointed senior deputy governor Aida S. Budiman and deputy governor Solikin M. Juhro, with all three appointed for five-year terms.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Energy subsidy bill seen to soar by Rp 300t without renewables push

National energy subsidy and compensation expenditures could skyrocket by Rp 300 trillion in the 2026 fiscal year unless the country accelerates its transition to new and renewable energy, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has warned.

1 week ago
Economy premium

RI factory activity contracts as ASEAN peers gain

Indonesia’s manufacturing sector has slipped back into contraction territory as weaker output and employment offset a modest recovery in new orders, according to S&P Global.

1 week ago
Economy

Dollar hits two-week high with Middle East conflict in focus

The US and Iran found themselves back on a war footing on Wednesday after the most significant exchange of fire in weeks.

1 week ago
Economy

Batam’s investment surge puts Southeast Asia’s industrial gateway on stronger growth path

Based on its investment activity report (LKPM), Batam’s investment realization in H1 2026 reached Rp 29.89 trillion (US$1.8 billion), equivalent to 45.3 percent of its full-year target.

1 week ago
Economy

The 2027 State Budget: Path toward a narrower deficit

Tax revenue in 2027 is projected at around 9.3 percent of GDP. Adding customs and excise raises the ratio to roughly 10.4 percent, slightly above 10.2 percent of GDP in the 2026 outlook.

1 week ago
Economy premium

RI reverses trade deficit with tiny July surplus

Indonesia has restored its trade balance to a small surplus in July thanks to surging outbound shipments of crude palm oil and coal.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Inflation accelerates while House approves new BI governor

The consumer price index (CPI) growth rose to 3.19 year-on-year (yoy) in August, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) official Ateng Hartono revealed in a press conference on Tuesday, well within the government’s and Bank Indonesia’s (BI) target range of 2.5 plus/minus 1 percent.  

1 week ago
Economy premium

SOEs to remit Rp 120t to state budget this year, says Purbaya

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa expects Danantara to remit Rp 120 trillion ($6.76 billion) in dividends from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to the state budget this year, marking a change from the initial plan for running the state asset fund.

1 week ago
Economy premium

Govt’s MSME credit push overlooks deeper structural problem

The government aims to boost bank lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by raising the credit target from Rp 1.5 quadrillion (US$84.6 billion) to Rp 2 quadrillion in 2027, but doubts remain over whether the move will effectively address structural issues that have hindered lending to the sector.  

1 week ago

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