The ghosts behind Kalimantan’s bauxite permits
The arrest of businessman Sudianto alias Aseng, the beneficial owner of PT Quality Sukses Sejahtera (QSS), is not merely another mining corruption case. It exposes a deeper problem that Indonesia has never fully solved: the political economy of regional mining permits.
Resource curse & Global traders behind Danantara?
President Prabowo Subianto set a more ambitious economic growth target of up to 6.5% next year, which seems not surprising anymore given his campaign promise for 8% growth before entering 2029 election. The president spent most his almost two hours speech talking about the country’s natural resources wealth and how the State should control more in order to achieve the target.
Coal Journal
Shares of coal miners ended mostly lower ground Wednesday (May 20) following President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to control coal export through Danantara in a bid to clamp down under-invoicing and transfer pricing practices, plus day-dreaming on controlling world price of thermal coal.
State export control: Implications (2)
Minister of finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa claimed of finding suspicious transfer pricing and under-invoicing committed by ten major exporters of palm oil through their affiliated entities in Singapore and other countries.
State export control: Implications
The government, through Danantara, has established PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI), which will become the sole export agency for natural resources products, starting with palm oil, coal, and ferro alloys. During the six-month transition period, exporters are only required to report their activities, while transactions will be fully controlled by Danantara’s platform by January 2027.
State export control is confirmed
President Prabowo Subianto has officially announced a new policy in export of natural resources, wherein export of thermal coal, palm oil, and ferro alloys can only be done by a state-owned company assigned by the government.
Navy for soybean
On top of the national police’s involvement in corn production, Minister of defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told lawmakers this week that Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) has been tasked to grow corn and rice, while the Navy is responsible for soybean.
Geo Energy-Trafigura
SGX-listed Geo Energy Resources Ltd, which operates coal mines in Indonesia, has signed non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Trafigura Pte Ltd, one of the world’s largest commodities trading companies, related to development of hard-coking coal asset in Central Kalimantan.
ResInvest enters Marga Bara Jaya
SGX-listed Geo Energy Resources Ltd, which operates coal mines in Indonesia, has entered into a term sheet with Resource Invest AG (ResInvest), wherein ResInvest will enter the company’s infrastructure business with a US$1.5 billion valuation.
Substantial correction at Cita Mineral
Cita Mineral Investindo (CITA), the largest bauxite ore miner controlled by Harita Group, booked net profit of Rp288 billion in the first quarter of 2026, collapsed 72% from the corresponding period of 2025. Why?