Putting a price on leaving
The Indonesian government has decided that giving up citizenship should cost five times more than before. Under Government Regulation No. 30/2026, the fee for voluntarily renouncing Indonesian citizenship rises from Rp1 million to Rp5 million, while several other citizenship-related services also become significantly more expensive. The official justification is straightforward: to optimize non-tax state revenue (PNBP) and improve public services.
Mining concessions should never be political currency
The Constitutional Court’s decision on mining concessions for religious organizations is about far more than mining. It is a constitutional warning against turning Indonesia’s natural resources into instruments of political patronage. Public assets should never be distributed in ways that create even the appearance that access depends on government preference rather than transparent and objective rules.
KPPD program for regional heads
The government’s budget efficiency campaign has once again drawn scrutiny after 25 regional heads were sent to Singapore. The week-long visit was part of the Regional Leadership Strengthening Course (KPPD), a program jointly organized by the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Adjustments in MBG program
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has disclosed President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to review the MBG budget, including whether the Rp 15,000-per-portion allocation remains feasible for implementation outside Java. The review could be crucial as the government seeks to prioritize the program’s expansion into Indonesia’s frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions.
Governance issue & the SAL debate in Parliament
The most consequential exchange during Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s recent hearing before the House of Representatives (DPR) was not about money. It was about process.
Reform before rewards
Indonesia is once again debating whether the military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) should receive higher salaries. Government officials insist no decision has been made, but the mere emergence of the proposal is revealing. It suggests that increasing the welfare of security institutions has become a policy priority at a time when the country faces tightening fiscal constraints and growing public demands for institutional reform.
PDIP vs. Zulfan Lindan
The lawsuit filed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) against former party politician Zulfan Lindan and media platform Total Politik illustrates more than a dispute over reputation. It raises a larger constitutional question: where does political commentary end, and where does legal liability begin?
A joke that exposed a bigger governance problem
During a recent hearing with House Commission VIII, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar quietly left before the meeting concluded to attend another official engagement. Seeing the minister depart while legislators were still discussing ministry affairs, Commission Chairman Marwan Dasopang joked that the meeting would continue even though the minister had already left. The room laughed, but the remark carried a deeper message than many realized.
Due process cannot be negotiated
The controversy surrounding former Attorney General’s Office special crimes chief Febrie Adriansyah now raises a more fundamental question: can criminal procedure be modified through institutional compromise?
Dody’s controversies
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo may have resolved one controversy, but a series of events over the past two weeks has exposed a broader challenge facing Indonesia’s public institutions: trust cannot be managed through explanations alone. It must be built through transparency, consistency and sound public judgment.