While the new finance minister has promised not to make any major changes to next year's draft budget and instead focus on fiscal discipline, Sri Mulyani's departure has left markets nervous about her replacement's policy direction.

The government noted that only a few accredited laboratories are currently capable of advanced food testing.

The current job availability index fell further into pessimistic territory at 93.2, highlighting lingering pressure in the labor market.

Experts cautioned that the policy could unintentionally encourage companies to hire only workers who live nearby.  

Economists argue that the root cause lies in public dissatisfaction that has been building over fragile social and economic conditions.

A group of hundreds of local economists has called on the government to focus on spending priorities and bring back institutional independence as part of seven “urgent economic demands” to achieve social welfare and equality.

The government has announced plans to establish six new special economic zones (SEZs) covering various industries, from the halal sector to electric vehicles (EVs).  

Indonesia’s coconut exports are surging, raising concerns among industry groups that domestic processing businesses are being squeezed by limited raw material supply.

Entering office just weeks before the 2026 state budget is to be passed into law, newly appointed Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa vows to make no major changes to the draft and to maintain fiscal discipline. He also said he would learn the ins and outs of his new post from his well-regarded predecessor, Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Last year, only seven of the 22 SEZs exceeded their investment targets, including Nongsa in Batam, Kura Kura in Bali and Kendal in Central Java.

Purbaya joined the government under various roles since 2010 and has been the head of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation since 2020.

Sri Mulyani’s farewell as finance minister comes at a turbulent time as widespread protests and riots over lawmakers’ allowances, injustice and police brutality shook the country in late August.

The centerpiece of a program to provide free meals to 83 million children and expectant mothers, the plan calls for importing a million dairy cows over five years, at a cost of nearly $3 billion, to lift the size of the country's dairy herd more than four-fold from 220,000 now.

Newly appointed finance minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said on Monday that 8 percent economic growth was "not impossible" and that he would find ways to quickly boost the economy.

Nestlé Indonesia received a visit from the head of the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), Dr. Taruna Ikrar, MBiomedSc, and his staff on Aug. 4 at the Karawang factory in West Java.

Japan's economy expanded much faster than initially estimated in the second quarter, driven by upward revisions in private consumption and inventories, giving policymakers some assurance as they navigate political and trade uncertainty.

Rice prices eased, mainly because of a fall of Indian prices to three-year lows on rupee weakness and intense competition among exporters.

Cost competitiveness is a key concern as local footwear producers face dual pressures from both the regional and domestic markets, as well as a potential influx of cheaper goods from China, industry groups say.

Despite the post-pandemic recovery, the global petrochemical sector has failed to stabilize. Overcapacity, slowing demand growth and intensifying competition have pushed margins to their lowest levels in more than a decade. Persistent oversupply will remain the dominant challenge through the end of this decade.

The US trade deficit expanded more than expected in July to its widest in four months, government data showed Thursday, on a surge in imports before a fresh wave of President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in.

President Donald Trump’s administration said on Wednesday it was "very troubled" by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund's divestment of US construction equipment group Caterpillar, and is engaging with Norway's government on the issue.

Days after a weekend marked by riots and the ransacking of officials’ houses, including her own, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has sought to reassure the public and investors about the state of the country’s economy and her own role in it.

An interplay of external and domestic factors has determined the rupiah's performance this year to date, and keeping an eye on established risks through approaches like monetary discipline and deepening regional cooperation will help safeguard currency stability toward improved economic resilience.

The government is urging the European Union not to appeal a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that supports Indonesian biodiesel exports.

Retailers have suffered an estimated Rp 500 billion (US$33 million) in lost sales over five days of unrest, while small businesses saw revenue plunge by up to 90 percent as demonstrations disrupted operations and supply chains.

Broader economic uncertainty is weighing on investment and household purchasing power, while the impact of recent government policies on the real sector and financial services has yet to be felt, according to an industry association.

In early 2025, foreign arrivals declined steadily from January, falling to a low of 984,770 in March before rebounding in the following months.  

The rise of new orders was mainly driven by an increase in exports, which grew at the steepest rate since September 2023, alongside stronger demand in the domestic market.

Indonesia achieved a trade surplus for a 63rd consecutive month as the country’s exports exceeded imports by US$4.17 billion in July.

Expenditures in the food, beverage and tobacco category contributed most to monthly deflation in August, when the CPI eased to 108.51 from 108.60 in July.