A monthly survey by S&P Global published on Wednesday showed Indonesia’s headline Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) slid from 53.8 in February to 50.1 last month.  

The two countries were also expected to advance defense ties, as well as strengthen cooperation in new growth areas such as artificial intelligence and nuclear power.

The government estimates the measures, which enter into force Wednesday and are to be reviewed every two months, would save between Rp 121 trillion and Rp 130 trillion ($7.1-7.6 billion).

Euro zone inflation soared past the European Central Bank's 2 percent target this month as surging oil and gas costs drove up headline prices, but the jump was smaller than expected and core inflation declined, muddying the picture for policymakers.

The business agreement covers the energy sector with Japan’s INPEX, as well as technology, finance, fertilizer and tourism.

While Indonesia faced a similar situation in 2022, the ongoing Iran war represents a different dynamic that will require critical policies that balance fiscal stability and purchasing power toward maintaining resilience.

With the dry season forecast to arrive early and last longer due to a potential shift to El Niño, the government is readying several agricultural measures, including AWD to maintain optimal rice production.

While some Asian nations have declared energy emergencies amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, Indonesia has stopped short of following suit, stressing that domestic fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies are secure.

Countries are working to close the gap between the US and India to extend a global agreement not to impose tariffs on electronic transmissions such as digital downloads and streaming, diplomats said on Saturday.

The ambassador facilitating talks on reforming the World Trade Organization has voiced cautious optimism on progress at a high-level meeting in the Cameroonian capital, where reforming the beleaguered global trade body is at the heart of a four-day ministerial conference.

Drawing from past experience, employees said the WFH policy is cumbersome and stressful, and merely shifts energy consumption from daily commutes to other activities.

The placement brings the government’s total liquidity injections into state-owned lenders such as Bank Mandiri, BRI and BNI to around Rp 300 trillion.

The suspension was ordered under a decree that declared a state of national energy emergency to deal with the fallout from the war, including disruptions to fuel procurement.

On March 12, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the state budget could reap windfall revenue from rising coal and CPO prices.

The Philippines is also keeping the option of increasing its coal imports from top supplier Indonesia in an effort to reduce electricity rate hikes.

Evidence shows that Indigenous, community-based mitigation systems are effective in saving lives during disasters. Therefore, legal recognition of Indigenous communities and customary forests is an urgent priority, alongside efforts to strengthen local knowledge systems and ensure their sustainability.

Rail transport carried the largest share of passengers at 3.3 million, rising 13.46 percent year-on-year.

Spending during Ramadan this year marked an overall shift in composition as consumers moved away from leisure toward necessities, giving policymakers clues as to how best to realign seasonal measures.

President Prabowo Subianto has declared that Indonesia’s aggressive push for food and energy self-reliance is not rooted in ideology but in "common sense", as it is required to survive a volatile global landscape.

Despite global headwinds, the finance minister expects economic resilience, buoyed by spending over and beyond Idul Fitri, will help achieve 5.5-5.7 percent growth in the first quarter.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open up the economy and fully implement national treatment for foreign enterprises, as the country seeks to reassure the outside world amid rising global trade tensions.

The government is holding subsidized fuel prices steady through year-end as global oil price tops US$100 a barrel, with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa saying the state will absorb the shock rather than pass it on to consumers.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington might lift sanctions on Iranian oil that is already being shipped, as energy prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

Last year, China sent Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand roughly a fifth of their fertilizer imports and that figure stood at a third for Malaysia and New Zealand, according to International Trade Centre data. For India, it was around 16 percent, according to its trade data.

China's show of willingness to work with the region of more than 700 million people would be welcome relief to Southeast Asian oil importers after an order by Beijing earlier this month to ban Chinese exports of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

Asia spot LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs in the second major supply shock in four years, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and No. 2 global exporter Qatar has halted shipments. 

The cost of the subsidised RON95 transport fuel, available for all Malaysian citizens, will be kept at 1.99 ringgit per litre, with the government expected to spend over 3 billion ringgit ($763.36 million) per month to fund its fuel subsidy bill, the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.