Questioning the construction of 1,000 village cinemas

May 26, 2026 | Market

A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) has proposed allocating funds in the 2027 State Budget (APBN) for the construction of 1,000 village cinemas, with the stated aim of supporting the regional film industry. Yet amid fundamental problems still facing...

Back to where they belong

May 26, 2026 | Market

Shares of Chandra Asri Pacific (TPIA), a petrochemical company venturing into upstream (oil refinery) and downstream (gas station), dropped further by 11.75% to Rp1,765 Monday (May 25). It is the lowest position since November 2021 after MSCI kicking out the stock...

The politics of blaming customs

May 26, 2026 | Market, Politics

The government’s latest signal that some functions of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise may eventually be shifted to the newly formed Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI) is more than a bureaucratic adjustment. It reflects a deeper political strategy...

Garuda’s SAP gamble reflects digital dependency

May 26, 2026 | Market

The decision by Garuda Indonesia to modernize its core systems with SAP has been framed as a major milestone in the airline’s post-restructuring transformation. On paper, the move makes sense. Airlines are complex businesses that depend heavily on integrated systems...

Extending Listyo?

May 26, 2026 | Politics

The debate over revising Police Law has been framed as a bureaucratic adjustment. Officials say the retirement age of police officers should be extended because many citizens live longer, while the police deserve parity with the military and civil service. Who...

Oil and Gas Journal

May 26, 2026 | Commodities, Market

Brent crude oil declined further to US$97 per barrel this morning as the US and Iran moved closer to a deal, which would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Aljazeera.com reported that a high-level Iranian delegation is currently in Qatar to discuss the most sensitive issues...

Satgas PKH’s new ‘acquisitions’

May 26, 2026 | Law, Market

President Prabowo’s Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) has recently seized nearly one thousand of hectares from two plantation companies, one controlled by SGX-listed Wilmar International Ltd and the other was previously owned by Malaysia’s Sime Darby...

The viral ‘armed ghosts’ terror

May 25, 2026 | Market

Over the past week, social media has been flooded with reports of “armed ghosts” (or pocong bersajam in Indonesian), allegedly a new modus operandi for robberies. What first emerged in Tangerang soon spread to several cities across East Java. In each case, the police...

Domestic issues weigh on rupiah, stocks

May 25, 2026 | Market

Composite index of IDX (IHSG/JCI) moved zig-zag this morning when peers in Asia positively responded to a closer US-Iran deal, which led to five percent correction in crude oil. The index returned to red zone one hour into trading, while rupiah weakened to Rp17,732...

Further pressures on Cinema XXI

May 25, 2026 | Market

Shares of PT Nusantara Sejahtera Raya Tbk (CNMA), operator of Cinema XXI outlets, opened higher by 2% to Rp96 this morning on broad market sentiment, but the stock is not even half of the initial public offering (IPO) price three years ago. CNMA launched an IPO at...