President Prabowo Subianto is displayed on screens as he delivers his annual State of the Nation address ahead of the country's 81st Independence Day anniversary in front of the members of the legislative bodies during the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 14, 2026.`

How much state intervention is too much for Indonesia?

Prabowo could hope to relive Soeharto’s era by recentralizing the government and strengthening the military, two pillars that had defined Soeharto’s New Order, while slowly erasing regional autonomy and freedom of speech, the two key achievements during the post-Soeharto democratization, also known as the Reform Era.

24 minutes ago

Opinion premium

Analysis: Purbaya’s liquidity push: Lending catalyst or the wrong cure?

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has once again injected liquidity into Indonesia’s banking system, placing an additional Rp 70 trillion (US$4.3 billion) in state budget surplus funds with state-owned banks. The measure is intended to spur lending to the real sector and, ultimately, accelerate economic growth. Yet its effectiveness remains uncertain, raising a fundamental question: Can another liquidity injection genuinely revive credit growth, or is Purbaya mistaking the symptom for the cause in a classic chicken-and-egg problem?

31 minutes ago

Editorial premium

Fact-checking the President

From million-rupiah shallots to unverified nuclear claims, President Prabowo Subianto's off-script habits are turning presidential rhetoric into viral punchlines - and putting the nation’s credibility on the line.

1 hour ago

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A drone view shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026.

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Oil market starts pricing in a prolonged Hormuz crisis

The oil market is increasingly behaving as though disruptions to Middle East energy supplies are not a temporary shock but a new reality.

19 hours ago

A man walks past the Wisma Danantara Indonesia building on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta on Aug. 11, 2026.

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The shareholder state is making a comeback

The question confronting policymakers is no longer whether governments should own corporations, but how they should govern them.

20 hours ago

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meet in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 7, 2026. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Aug. 7 amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the United States-Iran war.

Academia premium

The Mecca Pact: A new quest for strategic autonomy

For now, the pact’s principal strength may lie in its political message and deterrent effect.

21 hours ago

Participants in a protest by a civil society coalition known as MBG Watch display a poster reading “Free Nutritious Meals and Red-and-White Cooperatives = Vampires of the State Budget” outside the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office in Central Jakarta on Aug. 14, 2026.

Academia premium

How a decoy court ruling shields Indonesia’s ruling elite

Rather than a genuine check, the Constitutional Court provides a strategic runway for legislative engineering, allowing the executive branch to bypass immediate fiscal discipline while public attention cools, over the education fund.

22 hours ago

Earthquake victims are treated in a temporary medical tent due to fears of aftershocks, on August 15 in front of the Ruteng hospital in Ruteng, Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Rescuers combed through debris for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores Island, killing at least 47 people, according to disaster officials.

Academia premium

Indonesia is buying defense. It should also buy reach

The state is spending billions to guard its borders against foreign adversaries, while leaving its own citizens stranded when the earth beneath them gives way.

23 hours ago

interview

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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interview premium

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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interview premium

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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interview premium

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

Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong

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interview premium

‘China, Indonesia must continue upholding international fairness and justice’

German Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN Ralf Beste speaks on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, during the submission of his credentials as Ambassador to ASEAN to Secretary-General Dr. Kao Him Hourn.

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interview premium

In turbulent times, shared interest can bridge value gaps: German envoy

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung gestures while speaking about his first year in office and developing the megalopolis on Jan. 20, 2026, during an interview with 'The Jakarta Post' at City Hall in Gambir, Central Jakarta.

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interview premium

Jakartans must embrace global city status: Governor Pramono

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.

6 months ago

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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

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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

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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).

1 year ago