The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), has launched a website for economic discussions to assist Indonesia’s government in policy-making.

CSIS economic department chairman Yose Rizal Damuri said the website, www.paradigmaekonomi.org, was a follow-up of discussions on current economic issues held by economists since the beginning of 2016.

“We and the ERIA have gathered around 16 Indonesian economists from different sectors to write down their thoughts in columns for policy briefs that can be directly used [for consideration] in policy-making,” Yose said during the launch event for the website in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The economists include Zakir Machmud from the University of Indonesia, Arief Anshory Yusuf from Padjajaran University, Agung Pambudhi from the Employer’s Association of Indonesia (APINDO) and Dionisius Narjoko from the ERIA.

Yose said the seven topics discussed on the website were infrastructure development, trade, industry and competitiveness, the business and investment climate, fiscal and food policies, service industry development and social economic policies.

The website, which could be accessed in English and Indonesian, also contained reports of the economists’ group discussions and seminars, he added.

Yose said his organization would gradually improve the website content by presenting economists’ thoughts through videos.

He said the CSIS would also connect the website with social media services. (yon/bbn)