A teller counts rupiah bank notes at a money changer in Jakarta on Jan. 20, 2026. `

BI can hold rates, but Indonesia cannot escape expensive money

As high-cost borrowing collides with ambitious state spending, Indonesia must master smarter debt management and innovative finance before fiscal pressure catches up with its national ambitions.

1 hour ago

Opinion premium

Analysis: RI’s illegal cigarette trade A problem of enforcement and incentives

Indonesia's illegal cigarette trade has long deprived the state of revenue and undermined formal producers. Recent allegations that people linked to a House of Representatives legislator sold counterfeit excise stamps, however, suggest that illicit trade may also involve those with access to formal institutions. The case raises questions about how illegal cigarettes keep circulating through counterfeit branding, informal distribution and alleged collusion, even as authorities tighten enforcement and regulation.

2 hours ago

Editorial premium

Don’t let things slip now

As a battered rupiah, soaring oil prices, and global turmoil test the country's new economic chiefs, their trial by fire will determine whether technocratic discipline can hold against mounting political pressure.

3 hours ago

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Protesters during a “Stop the AI Race“ demonstration on Sept. 17, 2026, calling for a slowdown in the development of advanced artificial intelligence outside City Hall in San Francisco, California, the United States.

Academia premium

How to stop the AI-pocalypse

Anxiety has recently taken an existential turn, as the industry’s leaders have begun warning that AI could very well end humanity.

20 hours ago

A teller places a bundle of Rp 100,000 banknotes in a money counting machine on June 4, 2026, at a currency exchange office in Jakarta.

Academia

Where will Fed tightening hit hardest in Asia?

Asian economies are likely to see deepening diversion between countries with low inflation and those with spiraling inflation alongside heavy deficits amid headwinds from US monetary tightening.

21 hours ago

Padaidori fishermen show their catches on a beach in the Padaido Islands, Biak Numfor regency, Papua, in this file photo published on Aug. 7, 2026.

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The vanishing of Indonesia from the heart of Papua

Beneath the machinery of state security and industrial extraction, Papua’s deepest resistance lives in what cannot be cleared: Its people’s ancestral bond to the land.

22 hours ago

United States President Donald Trump (center left) and US First Lady Melania Trump (left) greet Chinese President Xi Jinping (center right) and China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan (center right) upon their arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the US, on Sept. 23, 2026.

Academia

Greater China-US exchanges crucial for deepening trust between peoples

People's diplomacy is valuable because it acknowledges competition while setting boundaries, fostering cooperation and providing buffers for tensions.

23 hours ago

Farmers wearing hats reading “True agrarian reform“ protest on Sept. 24, 2024, against what they described as the government's failure to implement agrarian reforms as they commemorate the National Farmers' Day in front of the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta.

Academia premium

A dangerous loophole awaits agrarian reform law

Behind the reformist rhetoric of Indonesia’s new Agrarian Law lies a dangerous corporate loophole: a legal apparatus designed not to return land to the people, but to legitimize its capture by the powerful.

1 day ago

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US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) president and CEO Brian McFeeters poses in an undated picture.

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Clear business climate ‘dealmaker’ amid rising protectionism, USABC says

Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta (left) and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn talk on Aug. 1, 2025, at the ASEAN Secretariat in South Jakarta.

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ASEAN should aim for South China Sea of peace, Timor-Leste president says

Munich Security Conference CEO Benedikt Franke

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Middle powers must make choice in rebuilding global order

Deputy Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chief Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi poses for a portrait at the BPS headquarters in Jakarta, in this undated photograph.

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Economic Census helps businesses spot market opportunities: BPS

Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy Vice Adm. Harold Liebergs.

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International cooperation key in facing emerging naval threats: Dutch Navy commander

Deputy Creative Economy Minister Irene Umar gestures during an interview with The Jakarta Post at the ministry office in Autograph Tower, Thamrin Nine, Central Jakarta, on May 7, 2026.

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Creative economy needs stronger inter-ministerial ties: Deputy minister

Trade Minister, Budi Santoso gestures while speaking during a special interview with The Jakarta Post on April 22 at the Ministry Of Trade office in Jakarta.

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RI seeks new suppliers, export markets as tensions mount: Trade minister

insight

Insight: The strategic role of PT SMI in fiscal policy and economic expansion

Indonesia’s future economic growth will not be determined solely by the size of government spending, but also by how effectively development financing is managed.

8 months ago

insight

Insight: Rethinking work: Driving sustainable growth in the digital age

The digital age has redefined how we live, communicate and work, but perhaps nowhere is this shift more critical than in the field of medicine and public health. As healthcare systems integrate digital technologies, the traditional roles of medical professionals are being reshaped.

1 year ago

insight

Insight: Innovations in managing and developing human capital

Over the past few years, the role of human resources (HR) has expanded far beyond administrative tasks. HR professionals today are expected to drive innovation, enhance the employee experience and align people strategies with business goals. With the help of technology, these responsibilities have become more manageable, and in many ways, more impactful.

1 year ago

insight

Insight: AI and Efficiency: Sacrifices The Next Generation

Introduction: From One Disruption to Another

1 year ago

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Insight: Securing a healthier future: The importance of Indonesia's plasma fractionation facility

The global health crisis brought on by COVID-19 tested healthcare systems worldwide, and Indonesia was no exception. As one of the world’s most populous nations, the nation faced immense challenges yet demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating the pandemic.

1 year ago

insight

Insight: Understanding sovereign wealth funds and their application in Indonesia

Toward the end of 2020, amid a world grappling with unprecedented challenges, Indonesia took a bold step in securing its economic future: establishing its first sovereign wealth fund (SWF), the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA).

2 years ago