The closure of steelmaker PT Krakatau Osaka Steel (KOS) has sparked fears that Indonesia’s steel industry crisis is deepening, undermining the government’s self-sufficiency push in the strategic sector.

The government believes that climbing commodity prices have created windfall profits for mining companies, requiring an adjustment to the state's revenue share.

Indonesia has held two tax amnesties, in 2016 and 2022, the first of which was initiated on the fallout from the Panama Papers leak that revealed data on individuals holding assets offshore, many in tax haven countries.

In Barma Baru village, Meyado district, Teluk Bintuni regency, West Papua, change is evident. TK Negeri Barma Baru, a kindergarten that for years had to endure a cramped, plywood-partitioned space, now stands in a more suitable building with much more adequate facilities.

Though the finance minister did not specify which countries would be exempted from the latest forex earnings rule, set to enter into force on June 1, this may apply to the US under the terms of the ART.

State takeovers, interventions and investments in the private sector as part of a broader policy direction have met with mixed reception, with some cautioning that potential overreach could dampen investor sentiment and the business climate.

As the government looks to replace millions of subsidized 3‑kilogram LPG cylinders with compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce costly imports, experts warn the switch would require billions of dollars in investment, and a tight safety regime.

The rupiah extended its slide to 17,425 per US dollar on Tuesday, according to the Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate (JISDOR), underscoring Southeast Asia’s largest economy’s struggle to halt the currency’s decline since early this year.

A new regulation stated that the protection of outsourced workers, including wages, overtime, social security and severance, is the responsibility of the outsourcing firm, while the principal company's role is to ensure compliance.

Industry players have welcomed plans to reinstate purchasing subsidies for electric two-wheelers as the government looks to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels that have become increasingly costly amid ongoing tension in the Middle East.

Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said that Danantara has acquired stakes in ride-hailing platforms as the government orders tech firms to cut commissions and expand protections for on-demand drivers under a new regulation.

Longer-term solutions, such as Bali’s planned waste-to-energy (WtE) facility, are not expected to be completed until November 2027, and undergo a finalization phase before becoming operational in December 2027.  

Prabowo said he signed a presidential regulation which was the basis for the new maximum commission cap that ride-hailing firms could take from their driver partners.

Under a 2020 regulation, all electronic system providers (PSEs) must register in Indonesia for what the government called legal and user protection purposes before making their services available.

Unwieldy terrain, unresolved land acquisition and operational limitations of village cooperatives threaten to slow down Indonesia's push to develop 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity in remote regions.

Around Rp 1 trillion is set to be allocated this year for the national internship program, as the government aims to widen its reach.

A proposal to impose a surface water tax (PAP) on oil palms at Rp 1,700 (10 US cents) per tree per month has sparked fierce opposition from smallholder farmers in Riau.

The EU unveiled in March new "Made in Europe" rules for companies trying to access public funds in strategic sectors including cars, green tech and steel, obliging firms to meet minimum thresholds for EU-made parts.

Trade Minister Budi Santoso has defended the government’s decision to pursue a trade agreement with the United States, known as the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), which has been criticized for placing Indonesia in an unequal position with the world’s largest economy.

Sanctions experts have long said, however, that the independent refineries are somewhat immune to the full effect of US sanctions as they have little exposure to the US financial system.

The latest ministerial regulation appears to be the final blow to the remaining support for the EV industry, which had been showing signs of taking off in Indonesia. 

The finance minister expects Chinese stakeholders "to be satisfied" with the government's latest debt restructuring plan for the Whoosh high-speed rail project, with the new setup aiming to address persistent cost overruns, delays and interagency incoordination through a more proportionate risk-sharing approach.

The total additional capacity from the new facilities is expected to reach around 900,000 tonnes, although individual warehouse sizes will vary.

Reliance on foreign workers familiar with proprietary technologies, as well as slow and rigid licensing processes in Indonesia, has created incentives for foreign companies to bypass formal visa channels.

The state asset fund said construction of the inaugural WtE project is unlikely to begin before June, with operations expected to start no earlier than mid-next year.

While the revision is seen as a potentially effective measure to bolster inclusive funding, experts warn that it may distort Indonesia’s banking industry focus from commercial lending to national development.  

The policy aims to close the widening gap between national sugar demand and local output while pushing the country closer to its sugar self-sufficiency target.