A seat at the AI table is not enough
Indonesia has secured a seat in one of the newest institutions shaping the future of artificial intelligence. By joining the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as a founding member, Indonesia has positioned itself within an emerging framework of global AI governance. The real question is whether the country can turn diplomatic participation into meaningful influence.
New notary policy faces a test
Indonesia rarely makes headlines over the regulation of notaries. Yet Government Regulation No. 30 of 2026 has done exactly that by imposing a Rp500 million non-tax state fee (PNBP) on notaries seeking to transfer their official jurisdiction to Jakarta. While the regulation has been presented as an administrative measure, its implications extend far beyond bureaucracy.
Military’s expanding role in tax system
Tax authority has spent years trying to modernize compliance through digitalization, risk-based supervision, and improved data integration. The latest policy direction, however, has prompted a different debate. Under the Directorate General of Taxes’ Circular Letter No. SE-8/PJ/2026, tax offices are encouraged to build information networks that include village-level security officers such as the Army’s Babinsa and the National Police’s Bhabinkamtibmas as part of broader efforts to strengthen taxpayer supervision and expand the tax base.
NAP Info vs Uninet Media Sakti
PT NAP Info Lintas Nusa (Matrix NAP Info), operator of sub-marine cable for ICT sector, has just filed lawsuit against PT Uninet Media Sakti, a company linked to Sukoco Halim, to the South Jakarta District Court.
Week ahead
Brent crude oil futures surged 4.6% to US$88.1 per barrel Friday (Jul 17) on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amidst growing tensions in the Middle East and Iran’s warning about retaliation of the axis of resistance against US attacks.
Barito Renewables = 5x EDC?
IDX-listed renewable energy player Barito Renewables (BREN), controlled by Prajogo Pangestu, has reportedly submitted a non-binding offer to acquire Energy Development Corp (EDC), the largest renewable energy player in the Philippines, for US$5 billion.
Adjustments in MBG program
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has disclosed President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to review the MBG budget, including whether the Rp 15,000-per-portion allocation remains feasible for implementation outside Java. The review could be crucial as the government seeks to prioritize the program’s expansion into Indonesia’s frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions.
Governance issue & the SAL debate in Parliament
The most consequential exchange during Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s recent hearing before the House of Representatives (DPR) was not about money. It was about process.
Xinyi Solar & Prabowo’s ambitious 100 GW Project
President Prabowo Subianto has recently challenged Bahlil Lahadalia (energy & mineral resources minister) and Rosan P Roeslani (CEO of Danantara, minister of investment) to immediately implement an ambitious solar power project with 100 GW capacity. Last week, coordinating minister for the economy Airlangga Hartarto boasted the project can be completed in two years.
Abadi LNG Project: A groundbreaking without FID
After more than two decades of talks and delays, President Prabowo Subianto kicked off development of the Abadi LNG project in Masela Block, Maluku province with estimated investment of US$20.9 billion. Final investment decision (FID) for the project, however, has yet to be made.