The biggest challenge for the implementation of B50 is how to balance palm oil demand between biodiesel, food needs and exports.

The government has slashed by half its planned rollout of KMP units in October from 80,000 to just 40,000, while the finance minister is adamant that any unnecessary augmentations to the original program will be ditched before implementation.

Corporate filings show Danantara chief technology officer Sigit Puji Sentosa is expected to lead new fund DDMF, while Rachmat Kaimuddin, currently deputy for basic infrastructure coordination at the Office of the Coordinating Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister, has been appointed to its executive team.

As Indonesia begins biometric SIM card registration for new subscribers, operators and cybersecurity experts say the policy's success will depend on infrastructure readiness, digital literacy and strong data protection.  

The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) said it is currently simplifying 22 agency regulations and coordinating with multiple ministries to implement a single submission and single inspection system.

Following the President's instruction in May to "reactivate" Husein Sastranegara airport, the Transportation Ministry has announced that preparations were underway for the West Java capital to start welcoming domestic and international passengers on both propeller and jet aircraft in September.

Labor organizations argue that taxing old-age benefits (JHT) withdrawals undermines the purpose of the social security program, particularly as workers face mounting layoff risks and rising living costs.

The KSPSI previously estimated that rising industrial gas costs could put roughly 55,000 workers at risk of layoffs.   

Weak transparency in public institutions creates opportunities for mismanagement and corruption that could threaten Indonesia’s economic ambitions, unless the greater state role in the economy is matched by stronger oversight and accountability, antigraft groups have warned.

The Communications and Digital Ministry has submitted drafts of two presidential regulations on AI ethics and a 2026-2029 national AI roadmap to the State Secretariat, setting broad principles for AI development while seeking to attract investment into talent and infrastructure.

A plan to extend the tenor of subsidized mortgages from 30 to 40 years has been given the green light as the government continues to explore potential financing schemes for implementation, including a tiered interest rate system for landed houses.

The government has decided to scale back President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program after growing demands to rethink fiscal priorities amid competing spending needs.

National Economic Council (DEN) head Luhut Pandjaitan said the implementation of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals program was “somewhat rushed” but expressed optimism that significant improvements would happen in the coming months.

The government is preparing to scale back President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program, with officials weighing another budget cut of more than $2 billion along with reductions in kitchens and beneficiaries, according to two sources familiar with the matter and an internal presentation.

Press and journalism associations have urged the government to ensure the Indonesia-United States Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) does not undermine the sustainability of the national media industry or disrupt the implementation of the Presidential Regulation on Publisher Rights.

Strapped for more revenue to finance development but constrained from further tapping the state budget, the government is effectively offering legal immunity in a bid to attract investor appetite for its new debt instruments.  

The government plans to increase the Housing Credit Program to Rp 50 trillion in 2026 from Rp 36 trillion after disbursement of the subsidized loans surpassed half of the government’s target, benefiting more than 91,000 borrowers nationwide.

Industry players cautioned that the policy must be clearly communicated to avoid misinterpretation that could undermine business confidence.

A coal power plant has been restored to the Java grid, but state-owned electricity firm PLN's deeper issues persist: a $70 price cap that bars it from competing for supply, regulatory ambiguity over where domestic coal flows and a compensation fund that remains in limbo.

The deputy manpower minister has confirmed that the government is working on a revision of Manpower Ministerial Regulation No. 7/2026 that would reduce the number of service categories eligible for outsourcing from six to four.

Global index provider MSCI has downgraded Indonesia’s information flow criterion to negative in its latest review, raising concerns over the “investability” of the country’s stock market due to limited transparency in shareholding structures and signs of coordinated trading behavior.  

Tax Director General Bimo Wijayanto said there was an ambiguity in the issuance of a National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head circular which classifies the funds used by the programs’ kitchens as grants that are not subject to tax.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia previously revealed a significant 20-million-tonne coal supply gap for PLN that remains uncontracted this year, raising fresh concerns about national energy security.

Thursday’s interest rate hike comes just hours after the US Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate (FFR) unchanged.

The Fed decided to hold rates steady at 3.50 to 3.75 percent for the fourth consecutive meeting, with the vote being unanimous for the first time in a year.

Creating a functioning mineral exchange requires building the necessary infrastructure, trading systems and market confidence, which analysts say could take longer than the time remaining until the targeted Jan. 1 rollout.

Despite its good intentions to curb under-invoicing, the export centralization plan is seen as being rolled out prematurely.

The administration would earmark Rp 500 billion to fund the first phase of the program, which is set to provide a subsidy of Rp 2,000 for every kilogram of soybeans purchased by food processors.  

A House commission chairman has warned that hiking Pertamax's price 32.11 percent could push consumers toward cheaper subsidized fuels, even as the world continues to grapple with the energy fallout from the Middle East crisis.

Indonesia is scaling back a controversial proposal to centralize the export of its strategic commodities, after buyers and exporters raised concerns, The Straits Times has learned.