Why the Rush to Assure ExxonMobil?
Indonesia’s energy diplomacy with the United States is entering a delicate phase. After granting long-term operational certainty to Freeport Indonesia—controlled by Freeport-McMoRan—Jakarta is now signaling openness to extending ExxonMobil’s role in the Blok Cepu.
Quiet layoffs
Acquisition of Mandala Multifinance (MFIN) by Adira Dinamika (ADMF), a consumer financing company controlled by Bank Danamon (BDMN), forced 2,447 people out of work last year.
Ormat gains more grounds
A geothermal specialist company from the United States, Ormat Technologies through its subsidiary PT Ormat Geothermal Indonesia has been awarded the Telaga Ranu Geothermal Working Area (WKP) in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, following a competitive tender process.
Great Deal or Faustian Bargain?
The White House posted on its website Thursday (Feb 19) a briefing and statement titled ‘Implementation of the agreement toward a new Golden Age for the U.S. – Indonesian alliance following a meeting between President Prabowo and Trump in Washington DC.
Rally in Spindo
Shares of PT Steel Pipe Indonesia/Spindo Tbk (ISSP) advanced 4.42% Thursday (Feb 19) to follow 7.33% gain earlier on Wednesday as investors responded positively the company’s stable financial performance last year.
Freeport in Grasberg: For Life?
President Prabowo Subianto regularly talked about protecting Indonesian natural resources and preventing ‘leakages’. Yet, when it comes to Grasberg, the world’s largest gold and copper mine, his government has just signed a memorandum of understanding regarding aa life of resource extension of operating rights for PT Freeport Indonesia.
CPO scandal’s second trial
The palm oil export corruption case was supposed to be about illegal permits, corporate misconduct and state losses during the 2022 cooking oil crisis. Instead, it has evolved into something far more alarming: a trial of Indonesia’s judiciary itself.
Who wins and loses if Indonesia bans vape?
The National Narcotics Agency’s (BNN) proposal to ban electronic cigarettes may sound like a public-health intervention. But behind the moral and medical arguments lies a deeper political-economy contest—one that could reshape Indonesia’s tobacco, retail, and tax landscapes.
Prabowo’s Visit to the U.S.
President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to meet with his counterpart in Washington on Thursday 19, local time. In addition to advancing economic cooperation with the United States–including the signing of a Reciprocal Trade Agreement–the president will also attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, an initiative launched by Donald Trump as part of broader efforts to stabilize the conflict in Gaza.
Behind the Polri SPPG
Recently, Indonesian social media has been abuzz with discussions about the implementation of President Prabowo’s free ‘nutritious’ meal (MBG) by the Indonesian National Police (Polri), which has established more than 400 operational SPPG (central kitchen) units across the country. A significant number of these units are managed by Yayasan Kemala Bhayangkari, an organization representing the wives of police officers. Given its close ties to the state apparatus, this arrangement has inevitably sparked concerns over potential conflicts of interest and accountability.