Layoffs in 2026
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia (GIAA) dismissed 128 workers in the first three months of the year after letting go 309 people last year. Waskita Beton Precast (WSBP) was more aggressive, cutting 25% of its workforce in the first quarter alone.
Garuda ‘improved’ in Q1, but still in red
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia (GIAA) booked net loss of US$46.48 million in the first quarter of 2026, dropped by 39% from the corresponding period last year. Full impact of higher aviation fuel price and disruption of tourism industry, however, will only be seen in the second quarter onwards.
Supply chain disruption for petrochemicals
PT Lotte Chemical Indonesia (LCI), which operates the second largest petrochemical centre in the country, has secured a naphtha supply from Malaysia to ensure the continuity of production amid disruption of global supply chain due to conflicts in the Middle East.
A missing link in the Chromebook case
In the latest hearing in the Chromebook case, held on Monday (20/04), three Google executives testified as defense witnesses for Nadiem Makarim, the former Minister of Education. They denied any connection between Google’s investment in GoTo and discussions with the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding Chromebooks. While the case continues to unfold, one crucial link remains missing: Jurist Tan, who is still on the run.
Electric dreams, taxed reality
Electric vehicle (EV) push is beginning to look like a policy contradiction. At the very moment the government reiterates its ambition to accelerate the energy transition, it is quietly allowing a key incentive to erode. With the issuance of a new regulation through the Ministry of Home Affairs, regional governments are no longer bound to keep EV taxes at zero. Instead, they are given discretion to impose or reduce levies such as vehicle ownership tax (PKB) and transfer fees (BBNKB).
Data highway or digital toll road?
Indonesia is racing to build its digital future—but beneath the rhetoric of artificial intelligence and smart governance lies a more fundamental question: who will control the infrastructure that powers it? As the country embraces real-time data systems and platforms offered by companies like Confluent, the vision of a “data highway” risks quietly morphing into something else entirely—a digital toll road.
From iPhone dreams to AirTag reality
For years, Indonesia has chased a singular industrial ambition: to become part of Apple’s global manufacturing chain. The logic has always been straightforward. If Vietnam can assemble AirPods and iPads, and India can produce iPhones, then Southeast Asia’s largest economy should be able to do the same. The recent confirmation that AirTag devices are now being assembled in Batam and exported to the United States appears to validate that aspiration. But the reality is more complicated—and far less transformative.
Nickel: Production cut & the rise of sulphuric acid
Nickel ended slightly lower by 0.47% to US$18,150 on the London Metal Exchange (LME) Tuesday (Apr 21). That means the commodity gained 15% year-on-year. Input costs for nickel smelters, however, have increased substantially higher.
Wanna acquire Moratelindo for US$7.2 billion?
Shares of Mora Telematika Indonesia (MORA) or Moratelindo, an ICT company controlled by Widjaja Family, dropped 7.1% to Rp5,225 Tuesday (Apr 21) even when it reported 23% growth of net profit in the first quarter of 2026.
Strong Q1 for Astra Otoparts
Shares of automotive component manufacturer Astra Otoparts (AUTO) ended higher by 2.94% to Rp2,800 Tuesday (Apr 21) as investors responded positively the company’s relatively strong performance in the first quarter.