A visitor browses information on investment potential in West Java on Sept. 19, 2024, at the West Java Investment Summit 2024 in Bandung. Now in its sixth edition, the summit provides a platform for West Java to promote investment opportunities and potential in the province.

The imperative to develop Indonesia’s financial sector

One key feature of a deep financial sector is the availability of long-term investment capital. To achieve this, participation in pension and insurance programs should be increased; at the same time, early withdrawals should be discouraged.

6 months ago

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Jokowi’s leadership: From successful reforms to hubris syndrome?

In his second term (2019-2024), Jokowi took a more ambitious and politically and economically riskier approach. ...

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Steady monetary policy environment provides opportunity to build resilience

A long track record of prudent fiscal and monetary policies and steady growth has helped to shield the economy from shocks. ...

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The Latest

Workers strive on May 19, 2024, to complete the development of antenna of the Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) ground station communication satellite in Aceh Besar, Aceh. The Communications and Information Ministry has continued to strengthen telecommunication connectivity networks to give better digital access to disadvantaged and outermost regions across
Indonesia.

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Outer space should be a pillar of Prabowo’s administration

Through advanced satellite imagery, farmers can gain insights into crop health, soil conditions, and deforestation trends.

6 months ago

Workers load fresh fruits bunches (FFBs) onto a truck on May 23, 2024, at Sungai Mesjid Port in Dumai, Riau. Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer, has beenlooking to use biomass as a way to reduce costly fuel imports.

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Leading Indonesia's charge toward 8% growth in a bold new era

Leaders who can balance decisive action with emotional conviction will be the ones who drive Indonesia forward.

6 months ago

President-elect Prabowo Subianto (sitting, center left) and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka (sitting, center right) pose with cabinet minister candidates during a briefing at Prabowo’s residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java, on Oct. 16.

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Mearsheimer’s presence signals Prabowo’s realist foreign policy approach

Mearsheimer’s theory, which emphasizes the need for states to maximize power to ensure survival in an international system, aligns well with Prabowo’s worldview.

6 months ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President-elect Prabowo Subianto shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China April 1, 2024.

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Prabowo’s leadership: Sailing through US-China rivalry

Indonesia's leadership in ASEAN serves as both an asset and a vital strategy for addressing threats from the US and China.

6 months ago

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Prabowo’s government: Return of blue-blooded nobility rule?

Prabowo’s massively expanded cabinet is no doubt designed not for efficiency but rather as a feast to reward those who supported him and to welcome those who joined him afterwards to make his ship sail smoothly.

6 months ago

President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (left) bows to House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani (second right), People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo (third right) and Regional Representative Council (DPD) Speaker La Nyalla Mattalitti (right) during the annual MPR plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta on Aug. 16, 2024.

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Jokowi has left the stage, his ‘theater state’ lingers on

For a politician who came from such humble beginnings, Jokowi managed to carve out an extraordinary career in politics by elbowing his way to the top, subjugating even the most powerful vested interests in Jakarta and rising above the rest to become a towering figure in national politics.

6 months ago

A worker operates heavy equipment at the site of a low-cost housing project in Cicalengka, Bandung regency, West Java, on Dec. 12.

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Reviving dead capital key to Indonesian prosperity

According to research by PT SMF, every Rp 1 trillion invested in the housing sector can increase GDP by Rp 1.9 trillion, reduce poverty by up to 6,017 people and activate 185 other sectors.

6 months ago

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) and president-elect Prabowo Subianto (right) bow in greeting on Oct. 13, 2024 during their meeting in Surakarta, Central Java.

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Power, legitimacy and succession in Javanese kingship

As the nation and its people prepare to witness the transition power on Oct. 20, the Javanese system of royal succession holds clues as to what the country can expect in terms of contemporary politics.

6 months ago

Health for all: Elderly women undergo routine medical checks at a Posyandu (integrated health post) in Alue Raya village in West Aceh, Aceh on June 19, 2023. The government disbursed Rp 11.9 trillion (US$790 million) for health in February of this year, up by 19.2 percent year-on-year.

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Screening for a healthier Indonesia under Prabowo

While the country has made strides in addressing challenges like maternal mortality, stunting and infectious diseases, data shows that NCDs such as IHD, stroke and diabetes have become the leading causes of death and disability.

6 months ago

A health worker administers COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at Arcamanik community health center (puskesmas) in Bandung, West Java on Jan. 4, 2024. The Health Ministry announces that COVID-19 vaccinations is no longer free from most people starting January 2024.

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How Indonesia’s leap in clinical trials can transform the nation

Clinical trials facilitate rigorous and strict testing of new vaccines and treatments, ensuring pharmaceutical companies receive regulatory approval faster.

6 months ago

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The Economic Damage of Changes to Government Regulation No.71/2019

Indonesia’s incoming government has boldly proclaimed a growth target of 8 percent. To reach the objective outlined by Prabowo Subianto by 2028, it is critical for the country to harness opportunities in the digital economy.

6 months ago

Hot spot: Smoke billows on May 10, 2024 from the nickel smelter of state-owned PT Antam Tbk in Pomalaa district, Kolaka regency, Southeast Sulawesi. The province has the largest nickel reserves in the country, with 81 million tonnes of the mineral ore.

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Why Indonesia should join the Minerals Security Partnership

The MSP will likely be the single largest opportunity in the coming years to establish significant economic linkages outside of China for Indonesia’s burgeoning nickel industry.

6 months ago

A protester kicks police personnel taking cover behind riot shields during a protest in Mamuju, West Sumatra on July 10, 2024 organized by the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) chapter in the city.

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Human rights defenders show courage in a time of crisis

States must adopt a consistent approach to human rights and to recognize that human rights defenders are helping to guide us toward the SDGs.

6 months ago

A sign advertising the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in seen in San Francisco, California, the United States on Nov. 8, 2023.

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The APEC Summit: Prabowo’s global debut as president

While the heavyweights are busy exchanging barbs, Prabowo can position Indonesia as a mediator at the APEC summit.

6 months ago

A worker arranges shoes produced by a small business in Ciomas, Bogor regency, West Java, on June 12.

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Garments, apparel, shoes: Indonesian sunset industries?

While Indonesia’s labor costs were competitive initially, rising wages made it less attractive compared to lower-cost countries like Vietnam and Cambodia.

6 months ago

Mind your health: A health worker checks the blood pressure of a pregnant woman at an integrated health services post in Gondoharum village, Kudus, Central Java, on June 4.

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Screening for a healthier Indonesia under Prabowo

In 2023, claims for IHD surged to 20 million cases, costing Rp 17.6 trillion (US$1.1 billion), a 50 percent increase from the figure in 2022.

6 months ago

Vivi Widyawati (left), an activist from women's rights group Perempuan Mahardika, and researcher Karolina L. Dalimunthe speak at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) in Central Jakarta on Feb. 13, 2020, during the launch of a study on domestic violence against female workers.

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Enhancing pro-bono legal commitments in Indonesia

Although the Indonesian Advocate Association (PERADI) requires its members to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono work, the reporting system is still lacking and there is no supervision to ensure that all members meet the obligation.

6 months ago

Police officers stand guard in front of a house used by a terror suspect in Batu, East Java, on Aug. 1, 2024. A joint team of the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism unit and the East Java Police seized evidence from the house, including liquid explosive and other bomb-making materials, which was rented by an alleged terrorist arrested by the police on July 31.

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A road map for collective deradicalization: A challenge for Prabowo

In the Pantura, stretching from Brebes to Batang, there are approximately 140 JI-linked ustad, while Grater Banyumas has around 150.

6 months ago

A nickel smelting plants at the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) in Lelilef, North Maluku, operates on July 7, 2024.

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A call for a decisive transition to a green economy

Switching to cleaner sources of energy is not likely to solve pollution problems in mining areas, as the nickel downstreaming process still produces tailings that can contaminate waters.

6 months ago

Dalton Tanonaka (left), host of The Indonesian Channel’s ‘Hot Indonesia’ program, gestures on Jan. 27, 2024 during the televised talk show.

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Preserving justice and preventing nightmares

As Indonesia prepares to swear in Prabowo as its next president, let us hope he is a man true to his word, so that the country can realize its many potentials under his leadership.

6 months ago

On wheels: Female online motorbike taxi drivers participate in a motorcade organized by the East Java government in Surabaya on April 21, 2024 as part of Kartini Day, a day dedicated to the fight for gender equality.

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From gig work to financial empowerment: Embedded finance for women in the platform economy

A gender-intentional approach can increase the adoption of DFS among female informal workers through embedded finance.

6 months ago

Growth center: Office towers housing banks and corporations stand tall on Dec. 12, 2023 at the Sudirman Central Business District in Jakarta.

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The new frontier: How PDP Law transforms banking risk-management landscape

The culture of accountability will help strengthen banks' defenses against data breaches and compliance failures.

6 months ago

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr speaks at a press conference,
held with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured), in Berlin on March 12, 2024.

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When President Marcos confronts Premier Li Qiang on SCS

Nevertheless, despite its exponential growth in economy, technology and other fronts, China must carefully listen to ASEAN's growing impatience of its assertiveness in South China Sea.

6 months ago

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (from left), Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Mamet, Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and East Timor's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao pose for photos during the opening ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane on Oct. 9, 2024.

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Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship and Anwar’s triple axis strategy

China and ASEAN all concurred with Anwar's assertion that all sensitive issues should be discussed bilaterally, if need be, multilaterally, but more than anything else, behind closed doors.

6 months ago

Battlefront: Women stand next to damaged vehicles at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Oct. 11, 2024, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

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Open letter to the UN Security Council's permanent members

Indonesia's top diplomat asks the UN Security Council, in particular its five permanent members, whether it has maintained international peace and security as mandated in view of the continuing atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, including direct attacks on the Blue Helmets.

6 months ago