Indonesia’s government is once again celebrating numbers. Ten startups incubated in three months. Six innovation hubs promised by 2026. Millions of digital talents trained. Through programs such as Garuda Spark, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) projects optimism at a time when the global technology sector is anything but optimistic.

Pertamina’s Maurel & Prom S.A. (M&P) has recently entered into a binding agreement to sell its 20,07% interest or 120.4 million shares in Seplat Energy Plc to Africa’s Heirs Energies Ltd for US$496 million.

President Prabowo Subianto met Rosan Roeslani, CEO of sovereign wealth fund Danantara and Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java province recently to discuss the Rp100 trillion (approximately US$6 billion) projects, including waste to energy (WtE) projects.

PT Biofarma, holding company for state pharmaceuticals, has agreed to provide Rp846 billion shareholder’s loan to the troubled subsidiary PT Kimia Farma Tbk (KAEF). KAEF, which would be merged with fellow troubled state pharmaceutical Indofarma (INAF), will use the loan to strengthen its working capital.

Indonesia’s fiscal decentralization has long been presented as a pillar of post-Reformasi governance. Regional governments were granted space to design development policies based on local realities, backed by the authority to manage their own budgets. Yet the issuance of PMK No. 101/2025 by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa signals a decisive narrowing of that space.

President Prabowo Subianto’s declaration that Indonesia officially achieved rice self-sufficiency as of Dec. 31, 2025, was delivered with the confidence of a historic breakthrough. Yet the claim does not fully align with Indonesia’s own official statistics. This discrepancy matters—not because production gains should be dismissed, but because redefining reality through selective framing risks eroding public trust in food policy itself.

Shares of shipping companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) gained significantly recently. Tommy Soeharto’s GTS Indonesia (GTSI) surged 25% to Rp400 on Monday (Jan 5), while Temas Line (TMAS) jumped 14% to make a market capitalization of Rp10.67 trillion. 

Venezuela crisis lifted gold by 2.48% to US$4,439 per troy ounce this morning. It had earlier boosted stock price of gold miners even if they’re just entering exploration stage, like the case of Darma Henwa (DEWA)—-linked to Bakrie Group.

Indonesia’s export declined 7.08% month-on-month and 6.6% year-on-year in November 2025. Import also slowed down 9.1% month-on-month, whilst inched up 0.46% year-on-year, suggesting domestic economic slowdown in the month. 

When the accounts of Dana Syariah Indonesia were frozen by Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, the episode ceased to be a routine fintech failure. Account freezes are not triggered by weak cash flow alone. They signal deeper concerns about governance, transparency, and the integrity of financial transactions. In a country eager to promote ethical and sharia based finance, the collapse of a platform carrying that label should be read as a systemic warning, not a temporary business setback.