Two tax scandals in one month
Tax authority is once again at the center of a corruption storm. Within the span of just one month, two separate operations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have exposed alleged bribery schemes inside tax offices in Jakarta and Banjarmasin. The timing is alarming. It suggests that the problem is not isolated misconduct, but a deeper institutional crisis within the Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (DJP).
Pertamina’s streamlining: How serious?
State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina has officially merged its downstream subholdings, namely PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN), PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI), and the business segment of PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), wherein Pertamina Patra Niaga is the surviving entity.
Coal production cut: Who gets how much? (2)
Amidst lack of disclosure from public listed companies and policy transparency from energy and mineral resources ministry, rumours dominate the conversation in the mining sector about approval of work plan and budget (RKAB) this year. The circulated information about who gets how much cut sparked wild speculations, which could hurt the country’s overall investment climate.
Manipulated stocks: Mixed response (2)
Stocks in the universe of Prajogo Pangestu experienced limited correction following MSCI’s decision. Barito Renewables (BREN), constituent of MSCI Indonesia Large Cap Index, retreated only by 13.7% since January 27, while Petrindo Jaya (CUAN) lost only 3.7%.
Manipulated stocks: Mixed response (1)
Following MSCI’s decision, some inflated or manipulated stocks steadily declined, while others regained grounds. Some, including three stocks controlled by tycoon Prajogo Pangestu, tried to prevent correction, whilst healthy, with buyback programs.
Internet quota lawsuits
Over the past two months, several lawsuits have been filed with the Constitutional Court (MK) challenging the practice of expiring prepaid internet quotas, on the grounds that it violates consumer rights. Paid internet data is the property of consumers, and the state has a constitutional obligation to protect it. At the same time, the government must formulate proportional policies that safeguard consumers without having to impose unwarranted burdens on internet operators.
Manipulated stocks: Those being investigated
Police detectives (Bareskrim) have named two suspects in insider trading implicating PT Narada Asset Management. In a related development, police investigators also searched the office of PT Shinhan Sekuritas.
Digital healthcare needs more than technology
Indonesia’s push to integrate artificial intelligence into healthcare is often framed as a story of progress: efficiency gains, better diagnostics, and improved patient outcomes. The recent collaboration between IDCloudHost and Edelweiss Healthcare Group to build AI infrastructure for hospital systems fits neatly into this narrative. On the surface, it looks like a promising example of domestic digital capability supporting a critical public service.
When criticism is punished, democracy quietly retreats
The controversy surrounding a job vacancy at Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs should have been an ordinary episode of bureaucratic correction. Instead, it has become an unsettling case study of how the state reacts when citizens scrutinize public policy in the digital age.
Persistently undervalued BNI: Why?
Shares of state bank BNI (BBNI) ended higher by 2% to Rp4,590 yesterday (Feb 3) when the company announced full year 2025 results, where its net profit declined by 6.6% to Rp20.04 trillion.