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Opinion 07:00 am
PREMIUM
Analysis: Ex-top prosecutor's exit strategy feels like political theatre
The legal saga surrounding former assistant attorney general for special crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah has entered yet another chapter. What began as one of Indonesia's highest-profile money laundering investigations has increasingly evolved into a politically charged legal battle, with the former senior prosecutor now appearing to pursue an exit strategy through the courts.
Opinion 1 day ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: RI’s 5.29 percent growth tests sustainability of fiscal expansion
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced that Indonesia’s economy expanded 5.29 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the second quarter of 2026, marking notable growth above the 5 percent threshold amid continued global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. The figure also improved from 5.12 percent in the same quarter last year, suggesting that President Prabowo Subianto’s increasingly expansionary fiscal policies have helped sustain domestic economic activity even as global trade growth weakens. However, the stronger growth also comes as the government ramps up spending on its flagship programs, raising questions about the fiscal cost of sustaining this momentum.
Opinion 3 days ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Foreign debt climbs to Rp 8 quadrillion amid weak loan usage
Indonesia’s external debt has continued to rise and reached a new high of Rp 8 quadrillion ($444 billion) in May 2026. The increase was primarily driven by government and central bank debt, which accounted for 55.9 percent of total external debt, or US$248.5 billion, after growing 3.89 percent year-on-year (yoy).
Opinion 4 days ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Whoosh's mounting financial burden is now govt’s problem
The government's decision to take over the debt restructuring of the Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway marks the end of one of Indonesia's largest business-to-business (B2B) infrastructure experiments. A decade after promising the project would not rely on the state budget, the government has been forced to step in. The rescue raises a broader question: If the existing line has yet to prove financially sustainable, why extend it to Surabaya?
Opinion 5 days ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Trump's forced labor tariffs: Flawed but revealing
United States President Donald Trump has revived his tariff agenda under a new legal justification. After the Supreme Court struck down his "Liberation Day" tariffs in February, his administration turned to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, accusing trading partners of failing to prevent forced labor in their supply chains. Indonesia is among the affected countries, which has raised questions about how effectively it is tackling forced labor at home.
Opinion 6 days ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Court hands education budget a win over school free meals
The Constitutional Court just handed down a much-needed reality check on the country's public finances. By striking the free nutritious meal program out of the national education budget, the court drew a clear line in the sand: money set aside for education needs to go toward education. Now, the government has to figure out a transparent, long-term way to fund its flagship free meals program without taking a bite out of other vital national priorities.
Opinion 1 week ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Fraud exposes vulnerabilities in Sumatra's fuel distribution
The arrest of 142 suspects by South Sumatra Police has brought renewed attention to what authorities describe as one of the largest fuel embezzlement cases in the country’s recent history. Between January and July 2026, police uncovered 96 cases involving the diversion and illegal trade of subsidized fuel, with an estimated 1.4 million liters of fuel allegedly siphoned from the official distribution system.
Opinion 1 week ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Prabowo’s approval rating 51 percent and falling
For most of his first two years in office, President Prabowo Subianto enjoyed a honeymoon that simply refused to end. Survey after survey showed him with approval numbers most world leaders can only dream of. That period has now ended. It was a long and genuinely good run, but the latest data from Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) confirm that political reality has caught up with him.
Opinion 1 week ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Panda Bond success tests its geopolitical balancing act
Indonesia's latest return to China's capital market has been met with overwhelming demand as the government successfully issued two tranches of yuan-denominated Panda Bonds totaling 7 billion yuan (Rp 18.6 trillion or US$1.1 billion) to help finance the 2026 state budget. The offering was oversubscribed by 2.4 times, underscoring continued confidence in Indonesia's fiscal outlook. However, the timing of the issuance has also attracted attention, as it comes amid heightened scrutiny over Indonesia's economic relations with major global powers.
Opinion 1 week ago
PREMIUM
Analysis: Prabowo's KSSK Plus: Coordination or quiet control?
President Prabowo Subianto is once again reshaping Indonesia's economic institutions. This time, he has instructed the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) to involve the Danantara sovereign wealth fund in its deliberations, creating what Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani calls "KSSK Plus." But when a state investor joins discussions where its own risks may be assessed, the question is whether the arrangement strengthens policy coordination or weakens institutional independence.
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