Regulating platform workers
Digital economy has created millions of jobs—but it has also exposed a regulatory vacuum that the state can no longer ignore. At the center of this contradiction are platform workers—especially ride-hailing and delivery drivers—who are officially labeled as “partners,” yet function in ways that closely resemble employees.
VKTR’s Junk Rally & Prabowo’s Order
Shares of VKTR, controlled by Bakrie Group, ended higher by 1.7% to Rp40.2 trillion Thursday (Apr 9) when President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the company’s assembling facility for electric vehicle (EV) in Magelang Regency, Central Java province.
Prabowo’s co-op (KDMP): The devil is in the details
Development of the Red-and-White Village Cooperative (KDMP) in over 80,000 villages with Rp250 trillion of budget is the second largest project from Prabowo administration behind the free ‘nutritious’ meal (MBG) program. KDMP is financed with loans from state banks, where payments are guaranteed with Village Funds (Dana Desa) from the State Budget.
Bakrie is back?
President Prabowo Subianto jokingly asked, “Why isn’t he here?” in reference to Aburizal Bakrie at a recent public event, it sounded like harmless banter. But in political economy, visibility is rarely accidental. It is curated, and often consequential.
From Mahindra cars to MBG bikes
Flagship welfare initiatives are increasingly shadowed by a familiar pattern: ambitious social goals followed by large-scale procurement of physical assets. The controversy surrounding the purchase of Mahindra vehicles has barely subsided, yet a new debate has emerged over the planned acquisition of tens of thousands of motorbikes for the government’s Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program.
Ceasefire on shaky ground
WTI crude oil futures climbed 7.4% to US$101.4 per barrel Thursday (Apr 9), while Brent futures increased by 4.4% to US$99 as market participants witnessed growing uncertainty in the US-Iran ceasefire.
MBG & The procurement of electric motorcycles
The lack of transparency in the government’s flagship program has once again fueled public suspicion. Out of nowhere, no less than 20,000 electric motorcycles appeared ready for distribution to support the operations of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, without any prior notice from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). While the procurement itself may be entirely legal, the way it was carried out so quietly makes it difficult not to view it as unusual.
Banning harm reduction
Indonesia may be heading toward a striking policy contradiction: taxing vape products on one hand while considering criminalizing them under narcotics law on the other. The proposal by the Badan Narkotika Nasional (BNN) to include vape in the draft Narcotics and Psychotropics Bill signals more than a regulatory adjustment. It reflects a deeper uncertainty in how the state responds to emerging risks.
Security at what cost?
At a time when the government urges efficiency, trims budgets and warns of fiscal pressure, a new defense procurement has quietly entered the spotlight: the planned purchase of 12 aircraft from Pilatus Aircraft. The timing could not be more politically charged.
Indonesia in the path of China’s e-commerce surge
China’s latest e-commerce regulation may appear technical—another bureaucratic adjustment to balance growth and oversight. But beneath the surface, it signals something far more consequential: a coordinated push to expand China’s digital trade footprint globally. And countries like Indonesia are directly in its path.