Academia: Opinion Articles &amp; News Commentary

Hidden fiscal risk behind Indonesia’s military expenditure

Indonesia is entering an era of bigger defense budgets and small budgetary visibility. Yet the institutions that allow the legislature and the public to determine where money goes have not strengthened.

15 hours ago

The shield, the weapon, the decoy: Indonesia’s architecture of elite protection

The public has been handed a reform that was quietly rendered toothless months before its scheduled arrival.

16 hours ago

The Latest

This handout picture taken and released on Aug. 15, 2026 by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers working amid the rubble of a damaged building after an earthquake in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara.

Opinion premium

Analysis: Indonesia’s disaster budget faces a cost-benefit test

Indonesia faces an unfortunate fiscal paradox: Just as the government has cut disaster-mitigation funding to the bone, disasters have struck with unforgiving regularity. President Prabowo Subianto himself has acknowledged that disasters are part and parcel of life in the archipelago. Yet his administration has slashed the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (BNPB) budget to just Rp 491 billion (US$28 million) this year, raising a fundamental question: How much can Indonesia afford to save on preparing for disasters?

16 hours ago

A farmer walks into the solar-powered water pump station in Tengengwetan village, Siwalan district in Pekalongan, Central Java, on Aug. 22. The solar-powered water pump allows farmers to cut diesel fuel consumption and thus their production cost.

100 GW: new electrons for a new economy

The 100-gigawatt solar ambition is no longer about hitting a target, it is about turning homegrown clean power into our next great economic engine.

16 hours ago

Calling drivers entrepreneurs won’t create better jobs

Rebranding gig drivers as "entrepreneurs" might polish government employment data, but no administrative label can turn precarious, low-productivity survival into a genuine path to prosperity.

17 hours ago

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (center, front) inspects a Jakarta Light Rail Transit (LRT) station under construction on July 14, 2026, in Rawamangun, East Jakarta.

Editorial premium

Good governance 101

A regional administration that fixes flawed infrastructure after it goes viral isn't setting the standard for leadership. It's merely doing the bare minimum.

17 hours ago

An exhibitor looks at a wafer during the SEMICON China semiconductor exhibition in Shanghai on March 25, 2026.

Academia

How obscure yttrium became a global flashpoint

This obscure member of the rare earths family is going to be high on the agenda when China's President Xi Jinping meets with United States President Donald Trump later this month in Washington.

1 day ago

interview

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

premium

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.

7 months ago

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: 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: AI and Efficiency: Sacrifices The Next Generation

Introduction: From One Disruption to Another

1 year ago

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